


Dead Hearts

by thexsharpestlives



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Dom/sub Undertones, F/M, Family Drama, Insomnia, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader-Insert, Rough Sex, Spanking, Threesome - F/M/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-05-07 14:29:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14673057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thexsharpestlives/pseuds/thexsharpestlives
Summary: You were alone, you were lost and had no idea what was going to happen to you. Hitch hiking hadn't been the best idea but it was your only option. You never imagined that getting into a truck with a stranger would change your life. Let alone that you would change two lives.





	1. Chapter 1

You had lost track of how long you had been walking on the side of the road.

Your arm was cast out to your side, thumb stuck up. Your other hand was holding tightly to the backpack that held what few possessions you still had. At that point you weren’t sure if you were more exhausted or hungry. It felt like it had been days since you had anything to eat. It had been a sleeve of stale crackers and a bottle of water. The bottle was still in your bag in case you ran across a water fountain. 

Sometimes you found you missed your former home but you knew you couldn’t go back.

Your father had made that all too clear over two months ago. 

You had managed to couch surf for a few days before deciding you didn’t want to be a burden. That was what had led to you getting on a bus. You found herself in the middle of no where and you had basically no money. You would have loved to stay in some sleazy motel. There were a few scattered along the road but you knew it didn’t matter. No matter how much you longed for a nice warm bed and a shower. 

Part of you was more than tempted to just drop where you were. 

When you were asleep, you could ignore the pangs of hunger. 

You were so out of it you didn’t hear the familiar sound of a vehicle slowing down behind you. The headlights flashed which made your entire body freeze. The arm that you had cast out dropped to your side. The more rational part of you knew you shouldn’t turn around. After all you had seen all those horror stories on the news about what happened to poor, unsuspecting girls like yourself. Yet the desperate part of you seemed to be ruling your brain. 

You wheeled around to see that it was a semi truck that had come to a stop. That fact alone made your heart hammer away inside of your chest. You slowly walked towards the passenger side and the driver was leaning over to push open the door. You weren’t entirely sure what you were expecting. The moment you were able to get a good look at the driver you had to do a double take. 

The driver was not a middle aged man with a beer belly that had missing teeth. He looked to be maybe in his twenties, possibly his thirties. His dark brown hair was a bit long and tucked under a plain black baseball cap. He had a rather large frame and seemed to have muscles most men would love to have. One thing you noticed was the prosthetic arm/hand that rested on the large steering wheel. The look on his face was one that was void of any sort of emotion. 

You weren’t entirely sure what to do. If you should say something or maybe just walk away. 

Before you even had a chance to make up your mind, he was clearing his throat.

“I won’t harm you,” he told you, his tone seeming sincere,” You look too young to be out here on your own.”

His words brought you a mere sliver of comfort. You knew that he was most likely your only option. There was nothing else around for miles and his truck was the first you had seen. Even if you were unsure, you hoisted yourself up into the cab. Your bag was thrown at your feet and you yanked the door shut. To your relief the heat was on and the seat was actually comfortable. You reached to pull your seat-belt on. 

You noticed that he had yet to actually continue driving. He was merely sitting there and seemed to be avoiding looking at you. There was a viable tension but you weren’t sure what to do. After all he had stopped and offered to give you a lift. For some reason you almost felt like he didn’t want you there. That wasn’t exactly making sense but it was just how you felt. You forced yourself to take a breath before looking back over at him.

“I can-I can’t pay you or anything, I don’t have any money.” 

He merely shrugged his shoulders before he was pressing down on the gas pedal. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he told you, his voice quiet,” There’s some beef jerky in the glove compartment.” 

Your hand instantly reached out to open the glove compartment. There was a package of beef jerky just like he told you. Eagerly you grabbed it and found yourself ripping it open. You tried to pace yourself but you practically wolfed it down. You tried your best to not actually choke like you could have. 

“How long have you been out on the road?”

You glanced over at him in surprise, swallowing the food in your mouth,” A little over a month or so,” you tell him,” Not sure of the exact day.” 

“Do you have a name?” 

There was a small voice in the back of your head that told you not to tell him your name. You didn’t exactly know his and you wanted to keep yourself somewhat protected.  
He seemed to realize your silence was going to be your answer. 

“You can call me Bucky.” 

Bucky? What sort of name was Bucky? 

You nodded, going to set the wrapper aside. Your gaze turned to look towards him once more. He was focused on the road and you weren’t entirely sure what else to say. There were probably a million questions that you should have asked. You went to run your hands along your thighs, rubbing against the denim that covered them. 

“Where are you heading?” 

“Back home.” 

You wanted to ask where home was but you figured it didn’t matter. You were in a warm car and your body was practically aching for sleep. His arm suddenly shot out and was reaching for something behind the seat. To your surprise a plain green throw blanket was being tossed onto your lap. You still could not believe that you had managed to find a ride after thinking you were going to fall asleep in a ditch. 

“I’m going to call you Doll, alright? I need to be able to call you something.” 

You were relieved that he didn’t seem to care that you hadn’t told him your name. Your movements were slow as you unfolded the blanket. The fabric was draped across your lap and you glanced back over him. You knew that you probably should figure out where he was going to leave you. 

“You can just drop me off at your next stop.” 

The last thing that you wanted was to be a burden. Plus you weren’t sure you wanted to owe him more than you already did. He merely grunted in response. You had no idea if that was his way of saying it was fine or not. You chose against dwelling on that fact. Instead you leaned back in your seat and brought the blanket all the way up to your chin. It was in mere minutes that sleep claimed you. 

When you opened your eyes you realized the truck wasn’t moving. You also realized that you were alone and you were filled with a sense of panic. Quickly you looked to make sure that you still had your bag. Everything was still there and you wondered why he hadn’t roused you. You perked up somewhat to look over the dashboard. It took you a few moments to realize that you were at a well lit truck stop. The sky was dark and there were only a few others around.

You weren’t too sure where you were but figured it didn’t matter. You knew that you were just going to have to keep going. There was no plan that had formed in your mind. You didn’t have a place to call home and you didn’t have any sort of job. You knew that it was best to not stay with Bucky. He had been kind and hadn’t even asked you for anything in return. You weren’t entirely sure how long that would last. 

You shoved open the door and made sure that you had a good hold on your backpack. You slowly climbed down from the cab only to turn back towards it. After folding the blanket and leaving it on the seat, you shut the door. Quickly you slid the straps of your backpack over your shoulders and took a deep breath. Maybe you could find a map or at least ask the clerk inside where you were, what the nearest town was. 

You began to walk across the parking lot, feeling a bit uneasy. Plus you were curious as to where Bucky had gone. Obviously he couldn’t have gone far. You were starting to think that there was more to him than what met the eye. Finally you were inside and you could see that the clerk was an older gentlemen. What little hair that he had was gray and he looked half asleep. You were glancing around, your stomach growling at the sight of all the snacks. You almost wanted to try to get a cup of coffee but knew better than to do that. 

You started to walk towards the clerk who realized quickly that someone was inside. As if the dinging from the bell hadn’t let him know. His fingers drummed against the counter and you wondered if he was annoyed. You made sure to keep a little bit of distance between you and the counter. 

“Can you tell me what town is close by?” 

“How old are you?” 

Your eyes grow big at the question and you wonder what he thinks. Most of your life you were told you looked younger than you were. Your mom always told you that she was told the same thing. You couldn’t help but wonder why he wouldn’t just answer your question. Maybe you looked like a mess but you didn’t think that should mean anything. 

“I’m nineteen,” you tell him slowly,” Now can you please tell me what town is close?” 

He didn’t say a word and continued to simper at you. You rolled your eyes, realizing that he was not exactly going to be helpful. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice the bathroom sign. From what you remember about truck stops they also have showers. It’s not like you have shampoo or conditioner but just the idea of a shower makes you happy. You decide to not pursue any more conversation with the clerk. 

Instead you begin to walk in the direction of the bathrooms. To your surprise and relief the women’s restrooms look to be clean. There was a separate door that led to the area where the shower stalls were. You didn’t have a towel and you don’t even have clean clothes. 

You sighed before walking back out and to your surprise you nearly plowed right into Bucky. He looked just about as surprised as you were. 

“I thought you were sleeping. “

“I woke up,” you told him, feeling almost guilty,” I told you that you could just drop me off at your next stop and I’m guessing this is it.” 

He looked confused and maybe a little disappointed? 

“I am not just going to leave you here.” 

“I don’t-I don’t want to have to owe anyone anything and I already owe you enough.” 

“Doll, I know what it’s like to be lost, just let me help you.” 

You had the feeling he wasn’t going to give up. Even if you still felt unsure you forced yourself to nod. He seemed to be pleased by that and you watched him pull out his wallet. Your head cocked to the side as he pulled out two fives. Both of which he held out to you but you didn’t reach for them. 

“Wash your clothes and buy some shower stuff, I’m parked for the night.” 

Maybe you should have just shook your head and taken off. Instead you reached to take them with a small nervous smile. You had no idea why he was being so kind. He had seemed so sullen, so put off when he had first stopped to pick you up. Never did you think you would find someone that still was so nice, so giving. 

“Are you sure about this?” 

He nodded before motioning for you to stay put. He walked back outside and you watched him go to his truck. He was rifling through it before walking back inside. You were confused until he showed you a bag that held a faded green towel and what looked like a t-shirt with some sweats. Both of which would be baggy on you but you knew they were clean. You shook your head at him before going to buy some shampoo and conditioner. Both bottles were small and you went back into the women’s restroom. 

After buying some detergent from the machine, you popped your clothing into the washer. You peeled off your soiled garments to toss them in and wrapped the towel around your form. Thankfully no one else was around since you knew you probably looked like a mess. You felt disgusting and you slowly walked towards the shower area. Your bag was set on the bench and you went to start up the water. After hanging up the towel, you quickly step inside. The curtain was pulled back and instantly the hot water hit your skin. 

Maybe things were going to get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fan fiction I have written that is being told from second person's point of view. It's also my first try at writing something in the Avengers fandom. I also will be avoiding using Y/N. I just don't like how it looks and that's my main reason. Anyways! This is going to be on the more dark side with some bits of fluff! If you like this just let me know! I am not too sure if I should continue this but the idea wouldn't leave my head!


	2. Chapter 2

You had almost forgotten how good clean clothes felt. 

You were staring at your reflection in the rather large mirror. You almost didn’t recognize your reflection in the mirror. Your hair was outgrown and you had noticed quite a few split ends. There was no use in denying you had lost quite a bit of weight. There were small bags forming under your eyes due to your lack of sleep. The clothes that had once fit you properly were hanging from your frame. You had opted to wear your favorite navy blue hooded sweatshirt and pair of faded skinny jeans. After yanking on a clean pair of socks and putting your sneakers back on, you stepped out of the women’s restroom.

Bucky was sitting in the small dining area with a cup of coffee in front of him. He didn’t look up when you approached the table. You slid into the booth across from him with your bag being set right beside you. You weren’t entirely sure how the two of you would look to someone on the outside looking in. He was different from anyone that you had ever met. You took a deep breath and reached to pull your hood up to cover your damp hair. Both of your hands went to rest in your lap and you didn’t know what to say. Instead you watched him while he finished off his coffee. The other patrons in the place barely seemed to look your way. That was a relief considering how strange you already felt. You chanced glancing out the window at the lot. There were some more trucks parked by Bucky’s. Some of them had company logos on the side. There was one parked at one of the pumps and the man was fueling it up. There were only a few regular vehicles, most likely family’s on road trips or something like that. You glanced back towards Bucky who was looking towards you. 

“I usually sleep in the truck.” 

“Oh?” 

“There’s a mattress back there, it’s better than nothing.” 

You were wondering why he was even telling you what he was. He seemed to realize that you were confused and that almost made him look uncomfortable. 

“I’ll sleep on the seat, you can take the bed.” 

You realized that he was being serious about helping you which was strange. After all you were nothing to him besides a hitch hiker who literally had nothing. So far he had fed you, paid for you to clean your clothes and get shower stuff. You had the feeling that the list of things was going to get longer from the look in his eyes. You nodded, knowing that it the mattress in his truck had to be better than anywhere else you had slept in the past few weeks. He motioned for you to stand and the two of you walked towards the entrance. 

You took another look around the lot and nearly came to an abrupt halt. There was a woman who was wearing basically next to nothing. Her frame was covered by a skimpy blue crop top that had a plunging neckline. Her legs were covered by a rather short white skirt and you were able to see the black thong beneath it. The shoes on her feet made you cringe considering just how high they were. You almost thought she would end up breaking her ankles from the way she was wobbling towards a truck. You were unable to stop from staring. She was stumbling towards one of the trucks and you watched her bang her fist on the door. To your confusion the door was opening and she scampered on in. 

“What the hell?” 

Bucky’s hand was suddenly grasping your wrist. All of your attention went to him in that instant. His hand made your wrist look incredibly small. His hold on you wasn’t tight but it was firm. He was reaching to pull down the cap of his hat further down his face. His cheeks were a bright shade of red and you realized that he had been watching the woman too. You wanted to ask him but realized that it probably wasn’t a great idea. Instead you allowed him to lead you back over to his truck. You climbed into the cab and looked behind the seats. 

There was a small looking room right behind them. The bed was a full sized mattress and covered by plain white sheets. There was a small TV put up on the wall and what looked to be a DVD player built into it. There were clothes scattered about the very limited free space. You noticed a mini fridge which was probably good to have. Bucky motioned for you to get moving and you sighed. You climbed over the seat and went to plop onto the bed. 

“Is this how you live?” 

“I go on small runs,” he explained,” Otherwise I’m back at home with my-my roommate.” 

Something told you that roommate meant something else. Instead of questioning him, you just nodded. After kicking off your shoes, you slid further back onto the bed. You pulled your legs up towards your chest and wrapped your arms around them. After everything you knew that you could probably fall asleep again at the drop of a hat. 

“Are you going to take me back to where your home is?” 

All you got in response was a nod. 

“What about after?” 

“After what?” 

“After we get to your home,” you explain,” You can’t expect me to live with you and your roommate, you don’t even know me or anything about me.” 

There was nothing but an uneasy silence for a few moments. He was slowly turning so that he was able to take a good look at you. Had you said something wrong? You watched him reach to pull the baseball cap off his head. His hand pushed some of it back and away from his face. 

“Tell me something about you.” 

That was certainly not what you were expecting to hear. 

“I-I-I,” you stammered out,” I’m nineteen, I got kicked out of my house and I-I was going to go to college but I can’t afford to.” 

Everything you said didn’t give away too much personal information.

He probably knew that but it didn’t seem to bother him. 

“I was on my own for a while,” he told you,” I’m a former Sergeant of the United States Army and I lost my arm in combat.” 

You tried your hardest to not stare given what he had just told you. You hadn’t known that many people who had chosen to serve their country. There had been a few guys that talked about enlisting towards the end of your senior year. You didn’t actually know if any of them had the guts to join up. 

“I own this truck outright,” he explained,” People hire me to move cargo and I take the jobs I choose otherwise I stay home.” 

“What about your roommate?” 

He motioned towards a photo that you realized had been taped to the wall. It was in a cluster of a few that he had stuck there. One was of a younger version of him in his uniform. There was another of him standing with a man who looked to be the same age as him. He had blonde hair that was neatly combed back and startling bright blue eyes. He had his arm slung over Bucky’s shoulder and the two of them were smiling. You noticed in that photo that Bucky didn’t have the prosthetic arm yet. There were a few others but you didn’t take too close of a look at them. 

“His name is Steve,” he finally says,” We’ve known each other since were kids, went through school together and joined up together and now we share a place.” 

You had the feeling there was more to it than that. You could tell from the photos and the tone of his voice that Steve meant a lot to him. 

“And do you really think he would be fine with you bringing in a stray?” 

It probably wasn’t the greatest way to describe yourself. Though given the circumstances it was a very accurate description. He actually grinned before nodding. You sighed and shook your head at him in disbelief. He tossed the blanket towards you that you had left on the seat. You managed to catch it and went to unfold it. You knew how strange this all was and you slowly slid down to lay on the mattress. You wrapped the blanket over yourself, turning onto your side in order to get comfortable. It had been quite some time since you were able to stretch out on such a comfortable surface. The mattress might not have been the highest quality but it felt like a cloud compared to a park bench or just the ground. 

“Thanks again,” you whispered,” For everything.” 

The last thing you saw before sleep claimed you was Bucky’s smiling face. 

When you woke you realized that the truck was moving and the radio was on but it was low. 

You also realized that Bucky seemed to be talking to someone on the phone. 

“I’ll be home this time tomorrow,” he said into the bluetooth piece that was in his ear,” I know you are worried about it but trust me, she could use the help, she needs it.”

You realized he was talking about you and wondered if you were supposed to be hearing it. You assumed that he was speaking to Steve but weren’t sure. It didn’t seem likely that he would be talking to someone else about you. Instead of choosing to let him know you were awake, you burrowed further into the pillow. You knew it was best to just wait to see if he told you anything even if you overheard the conversation.

“Just, meet her okay? Meet her before you make up your mind.” 

There was a brief pause and you wished you could hear what Steve was saying on the other end of the line. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

You watched through half open eyes as he went to hang up by pressing the button on his ear piece. After that there was nothing more than the sound of the radio. It was a classic station from what you could hear. You let out a yawn before choosing to sit up and stretch your arms over your head,” Bucky?” 

He jumped at the sound of your voice but looked up towards the rear-view mirror. Part of you was wondering what time it was and if he had even gotten any sleep. You knew he had said he was going to sleep but you weren’t sure if he had. After all your exhaustion had been pretty bad so you knocked out almost instantly. You reached to push some of your hair away from your face. 

“Where are we?” 

He shot you a small smile before he was looking towards the GPS that was open on his phone. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel and took a moment to look back towards you.

“Somewhere in Pennsylvania.” 

You slowly crawled towards the edge of the bed and reach for your bag. You begin to rummage through it in hopes of finding an elastic band. By some miracle you find one and go to pull your rather unruly hair back into a messy bun. You found yourself looking towards the photos that were taped to the wall. Part of you was still wondering if this was some strange dream. As if you would just wake up and find yourself sleeping on the side of the road. Not that a man who was formerly in the military had given you a ride and that wanted to help you. 

You were still waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Never before had you been shown such kindness. The only person that had even shown you an ounce of kindness was your mother. Even your mother wasn’t able to stand up to your father. She was the only one who tried to show you that you were worth something. She was the only person she missed but you knew better than to reach out to her. The last thing you wanted was for your father to get upset at her for being in contact with you. You had dared to write some letters but they were all shoved way down in the bottom of your bag. They were all addressed to her but you didn’t have stamps and you were too frightened to try to get them to her. 

You knew your father viewed you as nothing but trouble. He had thought that from the moment you were brought into the world. Apparently your birth had complications and your mother was no longer able to have children. In his head you were the reason that he didn’t get his second son. Things only grew worse when your older brother ended up in an accident and you were with him at the time it happened. You knew that your old man was practically chomping at the bit to find a reason to kick you out. He watched you like a hawk, just waiting for you to make a mistake. 

You shook your head before slowly crawling back into the front of the cab. Your bag remained in the back and you went to buckle yourself in. It took you a few moments to realize that the sun was just barely coming up. The strip of road ahead of you was practically empty. You had the feeling that if he had slept it was only for a few hours. Could he really drive on such little sleep? Normal people weren’t able to but you had the feeling he wasn’t normal. 

“Thanks, um, for giving me the bed.” 

“No problem,” he told you,” The seat’s pretty comfortable.”

You reached to fiddle with the radio without thinking about it. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that he had a small smile on his face. He was focused on the road and didn’t seem to mind that you were switching through stations. You landed on a station that was playing classic rock. You didn’t really care what you were listening to but you needed to do something with your hands. Even though you knew that he was trying to help you, you still felt out of place. 

“So, um, where do you live?” 

“Brooklyn.”   
You had always dreamed of going to New York and seeing the sights. You and your mom used to talk about how you would love to take a trip to Manhattan. How you would go see a show on Broadway and go to Times Square. The two of you had intended on doing all the lame and cliché touristy things. You already knew that the trip you and your mom always talked about was never going to happen. There were so many things you weren’t going to get to do with your family. Had they even thought about you? Were they worried? Did they still care? 

“Is it an apartment?” 

You were just wondering what kind of space Steve and him shared. 

“We live in a duplex,” he told you, taking a second to look your way,” We live in the unit that is on the bottom.” 

“Whats your neighbor like?”

Maybe you were asking a lot of questions but you were nervous. When you were nervous you tended to ramble without being able to stop yourself. Plus you knew that it would be good to fill the silence. It was also your chance to get to know a little more about him and his world. You were still confused as to why he had chosen to bring you into it but you were also grateful. 

“Her name is Wanda,” he explained, drumming his fingers along to the beat of the song,” She’s a student and her parents used to own the building, her twin brother sometimes stays with her.” 

You continued to ask him questions most of the drive. He didn’t seem to mind and you were happy to not sit in awkward silence. Whenever there was a brief pause in the conversation, you found yourself staring at him. There was something about his eyes that almost looked haunting. As if he was not just a mere truck driver who was also a veteran. 

The two of you came to a stop at another truck stop. It didn’t look as nice as the one that he had parked at the previous night. Since it was day you didn’t mind it so much. If you were there at night, it would have been another story. He told you that he was going to fuel up and if you wanted something to eat, it was the time to grab it. Once more he was handing you some money to purchase some food and he asked you to buy him an energy drink. 

You were surprised but nodded in agreement. Even though you hadn’t been without your bag in days, you opted to leave it in the truck. Maybe it was your way of showing Bucky that you weren’t going to try to sneak off. For the first time in a long time you almost felt normal. As if you were just a regular nineteen year old that was on a road trip with a friend. Your friend was not exactly one that someone your age would take a trip with. No one seemed to stare at you and you hurried inside. You made sure to grab the energy drink Bucky wanted, a bag of chips, some more beef jerky and a bottle of water for you. 

At the last minute you decided to grab two sandwiches, both of them turkey. Bucky hadn’t asked for one but you knew that he needed to eat. After paying the clerk and everything was shoved in a bag, you were walking back outside. There was someone yelling and instantly you were alarmed. Your eyes quickly searched the rather busy parking lot to see Bucky had some man pinned against a car. 

The man was struggling to get free, grasping at Bucky’s arm. His face was starting to turn a rather frightening shade of purple. Bucky’s rather large hand was currently wrapped around the man’s throat. You took off at a run even though you had no idea what had happened. A few onlookers were looking at you like you had lost your mind. After all you were a tiny little thing who probably couldn’t do anything to stop the fight. 

“Bucky! What the hell is going on? Bucky! Stop!” 

His head snapped in your direction but his grip on the man’s throat didn’t loosen.

“You are going to kill him! Stop!” 

There was a wild, almost animalistic look in his eyes. It was one that you had never seen in anyone’s eyes before. The plastic bag in your hand dropped and you lurched forward. Both of your hands wrapping around his bicep to try to pull him back. The man was still struggling, his legs kicking out helplessly. 

“You didn’t hear what he said doll.” 

Your gaze went towards the man who looked like a deer in headlights. What had happened while you had been inside? You looked back towards Bucky and went to try to slap at his arm. Maybe you shouldn’t be doing what you were but you didn’t know how to stop what was happening. 

“Whatever he said doesn’t matter! Lets just go!” 

It was an utter relief when Bucky’s hand dropped and the man slid to the ground. He was coughing, struggling to breathe properly. You had the feeling that he was going to be sporting more than a few nice bruises. All you could wonder was what on earth the man had said in order to make Bucky go after him in such a fashion. Bucky’s breathing hadn’t even changed during the entire exchange. He was leaning down to pick up the bag and soon his free hand was grasping at your arm. You weren’t even able to ask the man if he was okay, being dragged away. 

“What happened? What did he say?” 

“He saw you get out of my truck,” he hissed, his tone filled with rage,” Came over to ask me how much it would cost for him to have a turn.” 

All color drained from your face upon realizing what the man had implied. It wasn’t exactly unheard of for such things to go on at a truck stop. You didn’t think you looked anything like those women. It wasn’t that you were against that sort of thing but you knew you couldn’t stomach it. 

“It-It doesn’t matter,” you stammered out, watching him go to open the door for you,” He’s some random idiot who doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.”

Bucky was mumbling under his breath and glancing back towards the guy. Now that the two of you were clear of him, a few people were going to see if he was okay. Were they going to call the police? You glanced fearfully at Bucky who didn’t seem to be all that worried. Instead he waited for you to buckle yourself in before he was going to climb in as well. He was going to put the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. 

You were more than relieved to be getting out of there. No words were spoken and he went to shut the radio off. You glanced towards the bag of food that you had grabbed. Was any of it damaged? You hoped not since you knew the both of you needed to eat. After taking out the drinks, you went to grab one of the sandwiches. Once it was unwrapped, you held it out for Bucky to take. 

“It doesn’t matter,” you told him again,” I’m not what he thinks I am, he didn’t get to do anything.” 

He still didn’t speak but he was reaching to take the sandwich. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? You didn’t do anything until you watched him take a few bites. It was only after that, that you began to dig into your own food. The both of you sitting in silence and trying to forget what had just occurred. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself at the fact that he had defended your honor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank to everyone who has bookmarked, given kudos and to the comments that were left! I am very happy that people are interested! It is going to be a bit slow at first but the pace will pick up! Again, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed it! And this is also a first! An update within only a few days! Anyways! Hope everyone is doing well!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry this update took a little while! This chapter is a little shorter than I would have liked but I wanted to get something out! Thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos and bookmarked it! Also this is going to be slower paced but i promise it's going to be worth it! Hope you enjoy!

Steve was pacing back and forth, a cup of coffee in his hand. 

He still was trying to process what Bucky had told him when he called to check in. It was almost impossible to wrap his head around the fact that Bucky was bringing a girl home with him. What made matters worse was that the girl was a hitch hiker. He didn’t understand just what it was that had made Bucky decide to bring her home. He didn’t even realize that people still hitch hiked but what did he know? More often than not he stuck to staying at home or going to the VA. 

He found himself glancing towards the clock that was hung up on the wall. It showed that it was nearing eleven in the morning. It was right around the time that Bucky had said he would be home. He sighed before going to slam the mug down on the counter with a bit more force than needed. He had already called up Sam to tell him that he would be running late. After that he was heading towards the living room that was towards the front of their home. 

Their home wasn’t exactly decorated like most. They didn’t have a bunch of decorations hanging on the walls. The only photos on the walls were of them in uniform, their unit and the few family photos they both had. There was even one of Steve’s mother who had passed away quite some time ago. The furniture they had was all based on what they found comfortable and not what was considered stylish. Wanda had been the one to take Steve shopping for it when they had first moved in. 

He could hear the sound of a car door being slammed and found himself staring out the rather large front window. The window had window seats that were covered by some plush blue cushions. There were matching blue curtains hanging from it. He leaned down to peer out in order to see Bucky getting out of a cab. He was turning and helping out who he assumed was the girl. The sight of the two of them together made his heart race.

You had once again slept in the bed at Bucky’s insistence. It had been early in the morning when you two had crossed over the New York state line. He had to take his truck to a lot where he rented a space monthly. After that the two of you took a cab even though you knew it had to be expensive. You wanted to ask him why not take the subway like you were certain most people did but from the look on his face you realized it would be stupid to point out. He had reassured you that you would be welcome with open arms and that there was a room for you if you chose to stay. 

Did you even want to stay? 

Your heart was in your throat and your stomach in knots. You were almost positive that you had never been so nervous. You had to convince Bucky to let you carry your own bag. He was holding a small knapsack in his own grip. Together the two of you were walking up the front path. From what you could see they lived in a fairly decent neighborhood. Their home looked like it had been an actual house at one point that someone had converted into a duplex. 

When you stepped inside you realized that you were in what seemed to be a small hallway. There was a staircase that you assumed led up to the upper unit. There was a door on your right that you assumed led to Bucky and Steve’s place. Bucky was going to unlock the door and ushering you inside. You found yourself standing in what looked to be a living room. Standing a few feet away from you was Steve.

He was wearing a plain white t-shirt that seemed to show off his muscles and a pair of jeans that looked a bit faded. His hair was neatly combed back. There was the smell of coffee lingering in the air. You figured that was what he was drinking considering the mug in his grasp. He looked to a bit nervous at the sight of you standing there with Bucky. There was a hand reaching to pull your bag from your shoulder. You had no choice but allow the strap to slide down and off. 

“You must be Steve.” 

He nodded, a polite smile appearing on his face. He took a few steps closer and was holding his hand out towards you. Your movement was slow but you went to place your hand in yours. Your hand looked so small in his grasp. You felt so small compared to the two men that you were standing in the room with. 

“Bucky tells me he has been calling you doll, is it alright if I do the same?” 

You instantly nodded, not wanting to have to hear your name. The same name that your father would yell whenever you did something wrong. You could still picture his face all distorted in anger. His mouth was always like a thin line and his eyes had been two dark angry slits. You pushed that image out of your head and instead focused on Steve. He looked a lot like he had in the photograph you saw in Bucky’s truck. 

“I thought she could take the guest room.” 

“I could sleep on the couch,” you interject,” I don’t want to impose.” 

Bucky snorted and Steve was shaking his head at you. All you could do was watch Bucky take your bag to what you assumed was the guest room. That gave you a chance to take a better look around. The layout of the home seemed pretty simple from what you could see. The floors of the living room were wood. There was the large window that had a window seat in the front. A few feet in front of that was a matching dark blue couch. You also noticed a matching recliner and there was a matching throw rug as well.

There was a coffee table that had a notebook on top of it. There was also a coaster set resting on it as well. You were surprised to see a fireplace on the other wall. Part of you wondered if it even worked. The mantle held a few framed photos and a medal of some sort. The TV was a flat screen and it was in the corner on top of a black entertainment stand. You noticed quite a few dvds stored on a media holder beside the TV. The dining room was connected to the living room. 

There was a dinner table but it looked like it wasn’t used all that much. There was also a desk pushed in one of the corners that had an older desk top on it. You found yourself walking through it with Steve right at your side. He seemed to know that you were wanting to take a look around. From the dining room was the kitchen which seemed simple in design and seemed kind of small. It was galley style and seemed honestly a bit crammed. You noticed there was another room behind the kitchen.To the left was a door that was open to show the bathroom. The washer and dryer were pushed on the wall of the room. There was an empty hamper and you realized Steve must have been washing his clothes.   
On the other side were two doors that led to what you assumed were the bedrooms. 

One of the doors was open and you poked your head in to see Bucky was inside. He had set your bag on what you guessed was a queen sized bed. The bed had plain white sheets on it and the comforter on top was green. The walls were plain white and there was a dresser pushed in the corner. There was also a closet that held empty hangers. You did notice a few boxes on top of the shelf that had something scribbled on them in sharpie. 

You glanced towards Bucky who realized he was no longer alone. He shot you a grin before he plopped down on the bed. He patted the empty spot beside him. You glanced towards Steve who was looming in the doorway. You shrugged before walking over to sit beside Bucky who was now staring at Steve. To you it seemed like they were almost able to communicate without saying a single thing. 

Steve was moving forward slowly and going to sit beside you. 

“I know how odd this is,” stated Steve, shooting you a shy smile,” Bucky and I have had our own problems in the past and that’s why we are willing to open our home up.” 

You remembered the phone call that Bucky had made previously. How you had thought that Steve was nervous about you even showing up. What in the world had made him change his mind? You wondered if Bucky was wondering the same thing. It seemed like he wasn’t since he had such a calm look on his face. 

“I feel like I’m intruding on whatever life you two have here.” 

“You aren’t doll,” said Bucky instantly,” We were thinking of finding a roommate before but now we don’t have to.” 

“I don’t have a job or any sort of income at all.” 

You faintly remembered using the last of your money to buy some crackers and a water bottle. 

“We can help you find a job.” 

You glanced at Steve who was still smiling and looked very confident. 

“You two aren’t going to take no for an answer are you?” 

The both of them merely shot you grins that let you know the answer to your question. Instead of saying anything you were reaching for your bag. That seemed to confuse the both of them but they didn’t speak. They were watching you as you climbed to your feet and turned to face the bed. Your hands were rummaging with your bag and you began to pull out everything in your bag. Still the two of them remained silent and you went to grab some hangers. That made them laugh as you made a show of hanging up everything. 

“I have to go to the VA,” explained Steve after a few minutes passed by,” I do some work there but I should be back before dinner, maybe you can show her around more Bucky?” 

Bucky quickly nodded to show that was fine with him. You waved to Steve who nodded before he was walking out. Bucky stood up and was going to help you hang up your stuff. It was odd to see your things actually out of the bag and in a closet. You were actually starting to feel normal again. Once you finished unpacking what few things you had, the two of you were walking out of your room. Bucky was heading towards the kitchen and you watched him fiddle with the coffee pot. There were so many questions running through your head but you were a bit overwhelmed at that moment. You had no idea that night that you were hitch hiking that you would end up where you had. You had yourself a new home and two roommates. They seemed like good men and you hoped you hadn’t made a mistake. That the floor wouldn’t somehow fall out from under you. 

“What kind of work does Steve do for the VA?” 

“It’s hard to explain, he does a lot, got involved with it after he met Sam.” 

You assumed that Sam was also a veteran and wondered if you would ever meet him. Bucky was going to grab two mugs from one of the cupboards. They were both black and you knew they had to be part of a matching set. You went to take them from him without saying a word. He watched you in confusion as you motioned for him to go sit. The least that you could do was bring him some coffee after everything he was doing for you. You waited patiently for the coffee to brew before pouring it into both of the mugs. You knew Bucky took his coffee black since he had told you so before. You went to add some sugar to yours and a bit of creamer. Of course you made sure to move slow and steady while you carried them towards the living room. 

It seemed like you were home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took a little bit longer than expected! I tried to make this a little longer than the other two! I just started a new job and being an adult is such a wonderful thing! Anyways! Thank you to everyone who has left comments, kudos and bookmarked this! Please continue to let me know what you think! I promise that this will progress faster soon! Enjoy!

Most of your first day at your new home was spent settling in. Bucky had told you to make yourself at home and he seemed to want to make sure you did so. After you two had your coffee together, you chose to try to find some sort of job. That meant using their desk top and you were just hoping to find something. You had only ever worked at one place before and it was a local ice cream shop. It had only been part time and of course the busiest time of year had been summer. It was just another old piece of your old life that you longed to forget. 

Bucky told you that he was going to unpack his own stuff and to yell if you needed anything. He disappeared into what you assumed was the room he shared with Steve. That left you alone and you found yourself taking a much needed deep breath. Ever since you had arrived at the house you felt like your mind was working overtime. The irrational part of your brain was telling you that it was too good to be true. That you should gather up your things and head out. Surely you could find a shelter or something to take you in before you landed on your feet. 

That wasn’t stopping you from checking your old email. You were amazed that you even remembered the password. It wouldn’t have shocked you to see that you didn’t have anything in your inbox. To your shock you saw that you actually had one and it wasn’t spam as expected. Instead it was one from your mother which made your heart skip a beat. The little arrow hovered above it as if you were daring yourself to click it. Was it some sort of accident? How had she managed to send it without your dad knowing? 

You shook your head, trying to ignore the ache in your heart. Instead you closed out and went to hit job search for Brooklyn. Plenty of things showed up from the search but you were almost positive you didn’t qualify for any of them. Oh how you wished you had been able to attend college. You chose to apply to some positions that you figured were more realistic for a girl like you. That ended up being a few server positions, a cashier position and even a receptionist job at a yoga studio. You felt nervous as you filled out the applications. Of course you had to ask Bucky what the address was since there was no way you wanted to put down your old one. You also had to ask him if it was okay for you to put down his cell phone number. 

It was a relief once you hit send on all of them. 

After that you weren’t entirely sure what to do with yourself. It had been months of worrying about survival and where you were going to sleep, what you were going to eat. The idea of just being able to sit around and do nothing was almost odd. Even if you had done such a thing for most of your life. You knew you didn’t want to just lounge on the couch and instead went to grab yourself a bottle of water. You planted yourself on the front steps and allowed yourself to stretch your legs. The sun was shining and you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling. 

You set the bottle aside before running your hands along your legs. You were starting to very slowly feel like the girl that you used to be. It was all thanks to Bucky and you knew it was also thanks to Steve. Maybe you should make an effort to get to know Steve whenever he was home. The idea of trying to thank them in some way popped in your head. Of course your lack of money was a bit of a problem. 

There was some noise behind you and the door was swinging open. Your head turned to see Bucky stepping out and he almost looked worried. You shot him a smile and scooted over to allow him some room. He went to lower himself beside you and his hands clasped together on his lap. 

“I was worried you might have taken off doll.” 

“It just feels weird being inside a house.” 

His eye brows raised but he waited for you to continue. 

“I mean, I spent months sleeping outside and just mostly being outside.” 

“I get where you are coming from, it’ll take time but you’ll adjust.” 

You nodded slowly, going to take a sip of your water. The neighborhood was nice and almost peaceful. Your eyes scanned everything in the area. There were a few people milling about. A man carrying a few paper bags filled with groceries. There was a couple that was walking a dog. You noticed a two boys, one younger and the other older and they were playing catch. It all seemed so normal and so strange. 

The two of you sat out there for a while before Bucky told you that he had a doctor’s appointment. You figured it had something to do with his arm so you just nodded. That left you alone and you chose to head inside. It felt like you had been left alone at some friend’s house. Not that you had been left alone at home like you had been so many times before at your childhood home. You were fighting the urge to snoop even if you should get to know your new home. Your first stop was the kitchen to see that they had all the usual staples. The microwave was placed up which meant it would be fun for you. 

You were taken by surprise to see that the cupboards weren’t full of instant food. There was even a nice selection of fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge. You did notice a twelve pack of beer that seemed to be untouched. It was on the very bottom shelf that was above the crisper. In the freezer there were some waffles, frozen fruit and to your surprise a pint of ice cream. There were a few ice cube trays. You wandered towards the back hall and realized that Steve hadn’t finished his laundry. There were sopping wet clothes resting in the washer.

All you did was shrug before you began to load the dryer up. There were a few shirts that you knew to hang dry. Quickly you tossed in a dryer sheet before getting it going. You placed the basket on top of the washer before you were peering into the bedroom that you knew they shared. It seemed simple just like the rest of their home. There was a king sized bed dead center that had a black comforter on top.

A large dresser rested against the wall and there was a decent sized closet. You loomed in the doorway, almost not wanting to step into their private space. For some reason it felt like there was something compelling you to do so. You took a few steps inside and glanced around. The walls were empty to your surprise since you half expected them to have some pictures up. You looked inside the closet to see that their clothes seemed to be mixed in. You had the feeling that they probably shared clothes but what did you know? 

You shook your head, running your hand along their dresser. Everything seemed so neat and orderly. What else could you expect from two former military men? You sighed before you walked out of their room and planted yourself on the couch. The remote was right beside you so you picked it up and went to turn on the TV. You were mindlessly flipping through channels, not even sure what you really felt like watching. It had been ages since you were able to watch anything but you knew you were bound to find some trashy reality show. They had always been your guilty pleasure. 

After landing on some random channel, you curled up with one of the throw pillows. A few minutes went by before you were dozing off. An hour or two passed before you woke to the door being pushed open. You quickly snapped up to see that it was Steve. He looked just about as surprised as you did. A guilty smile appeared on his face before he went to shut the door using his foot. You did notice how he didn’t bother with locking it and instead was going to join you on the couch. 

“All settled in?” he asked, a curious look in his eyes,” Is that the dryer running?” 

You giggled at the surprised look that danced across his face,” I’m all settled and I noticed you forgot to put your clothes in the dryer so I put them in for you.” 

“Bucky helped you?” 

“Yeah, he made sure to help and I did apply for some jobs.” 

There was silence after that for a few minutes. He didn’t seem very interested in what was on the TV and you had no idea what it was. It wasn’t the show that you had put on earlier considering how much time had passed. Instead the two of you sat beside each other for a bit. 

“I was thinking of cooking something for dinner tonight,” he finally said to break the silence,” Would you like to help?” 

You were relieved that he finally said something. All you did was nod before you were letting him lead you towards the kitchen. He was going to take out some boneless chicken breasts and some vegetables from the fridge. You watched him as he took out a cutting board and a rather sharp knife. You took the knife and waited for him to hand you over the meat. You began to chop as he took out some pans from underneath. 

While the two of you cooked, he told you a little bit about himself. How he had been raised by his mother whose name was Sarah. How Bucky and him had been good friends since they were kids. He told you about how he had been sickly as a child. The doctors had doubted he would make it past the age of ten. According to him the doctors said it was nothing short of a miracle that he managed to survive. Not only that but it was like something changed as he grew older. His health improved and it was clear he was no longer that skinny kid that had once been teased without mercy. You couldn’t exactly picture anyone trying to bully someone like Steve. 

He seemed to be a bit more comfortable with you which was a relief. You watched as he stirred everything in the pan after putting a nice amount of soy sauce into it. He had explained earlier that he was making stir fry. You were just happy that you were going to be eating an actual balanced meal and not junk. You offered to set the table and he agreed, showing you where everything was. 

You were setting the last glass on the table when the front door unlocked to show Bucky walking in. He looked a bit frazzled but he shot you a smile you had become familiar with.

“That food smells amazing,” he stated in lieu of a greeting,” I always miss real food while on the road.” 

You had the feeling he stuck with whatever the truck stops had to offer. You could only imagine what that was like for him since he had chosen that sort of job. He went into the kitchen and you tried not to watch him. Out of the corner of your eye you saw him move towards Steve and shyly press a kiss to Steve’s cheek. Quickly you looked back towards the table, knowing you should give them some privacy. After all you were the one that had just sort of worked your way into the life they had built. 

Dinner was nice for all three of you. You told them that you were going to take a bath if that was okay. It was your way of leaving the two of them alone if they wanted to be. Steve showed you were they kept the extra towels. Earlier while you had been unpacking you had put the shower stuff Bucky bought you in the bathroom. You once more thanked them again and walked into the bathroom. After placing the towel on the sink, you went to turn on the hot water. 

You plugged up the drain once the water warmed up to just the right temperature. Steam rose up from the water but that merely made you grin. You used to take a bath at least once a week before. Sometimes you would use bubbles, bath salts and once in a while a bath bomb. After shedding your clothes, you slowly climbed into the tub. Your body slid down into the hot water and you gasped at the feeling. 

“What do you think?” 

Steve wasn’t surprised by Bucky’s question. He found himself glancing towards the bathroom door that was obviously closed. He still couldn’t believe the situation. How could someone’s parents just kick them out? He hadn’t heard everything about her but he knew a bit. That was due to some of what Bucky told him. He looked over at Bucky as he gathered up the dishes from the table. The look in Bucky’s eyes was a pleading one and he knew that his old friend wanted him to like her. 

“She can stay,” he finally said before going to place the dishes in their dishwasher,” I’m just worried Buck, we don’t know about her family or anything.” 

“Give her some time,” stated Bucky, his shoulder bumping against Steve’s,” I’m sure we can get her to talk or at the very least you can.” 

The next few days you were just adjusting to being in a new home. You managed to snag an interview for a serving job at a small Italian restaurant. Of course you were happy but at the same time you knew you didn’t have suitable clothes for an interview. Plus the fact that your hair was overgrown. Steve had noticed how happy you were when you got the call but how your mood deflated shortly after. That was when he chose to introduce you to Wanda. 

He led you out to the hallway and the two of you walked up the staircase. You watched him as he knocked once before he was going to push open the door. Something told you that he and Bucky were very close with Wanda. You felt a bit strange walking into her place when the two of you hadn’t met yet. The layout of her place was the exact same as Steve and Bucky’s. You had yet to start thinking of their place as yours. Even if the two of them had made it clear that you should just think of their place as your home. 

Her apartment seemed to have hints of red and gold a little all over. There was some antique furniture around and you wondered if it belonged to her parents. Steve went to shut the door behind the two of you. You remained standing a few feet away from the door. 

“Wanda? Wanda it’s Steve and I have someone here I would like you to meet.” 

In mere seconds a young woman appeared from the back of the place. You couldn’t help but think that she was beautiful. She was wearing a black camisole and a pair of jeans. Her hair was pulled in a ponytail and she was holding what looked like a smoothie in her hand. 

“Wanda this is our new roommate,” explained Steve with a smile on his face,” We were wondering if you could help us out with something.” 

You found yourself blushing somewhat before stepping forward and holding out your hand,” It’s nice to meet you.” 

She seemed to look you up and down before a small smile appeared,” Pleasure to meet you.”

Her voice was heavy with what you assumed was a Russian accent. You were just relieved that she seemed to be friendly. You glanced over at Steve who was looking at the both of you. 

“Steve was-or I was wondering if you could maybe help me out? I need some clothes for an interview and I sort of need a hair cut.” 

Wanda was grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“I think I can find something for you to wear,” she told you with a smile,” And I can take you to the salon I go to.” 

“You are a god send,” said Steve with a grin,” We wouldn’t have known where she could go.” 

You nod in agreement, still feeling a little uncomfortable and shy. In a matter of less than a week you found yourself doing more talking to people than you had in forever. Of course you were grateful for everything but it felt like you were racking up a debt that you couldn’t pay. They both had mentioned that they were more than happy to help you out. Now it seemed that Wanda was going to be helping you out as well. 

She was telling Steve he was free to go before she was ushering you towards what you assumed was her bedroom. She motioned for you to sit on the bed before she was going to look through the closet. You noticed that her room seemed to be a bit messy compared to Steve and Bucky’s.   
“Steve tells me that you don’t like to be called by your name.” 

You were snapped out of your thoughts by her words. 

“I-I was just-I was named after someone in the family and I would rather not be reminded of them.” 

She nodded in understanding while she looked through the many hangers. You weren’t sure you had ever seen someone who owned so many different clothes before. There were so many different colors but you did notice quite a few dark ones. You watched as she pulled out a black button up blouse. She was shaking her head before putting it back to continue her browsing. 

“Is there a nickname I can call you? I think we are going to be friends.” 

“Bucky and Steve have been calling me doll.” 

It had been a surprise to you that you were actually getting used to the petname. You might even go as far to say as you had started to like it. 

“How about I call you kukla?” 

Your eye brows shot up at the question. 

She giggled at the look on your face,” It means doll, in Russian.” 

That made your smile grow before you nodded.

It didn’t take long before she managed to find you something she deemed suitable. Suitable ended up being a dark green button up sweater with a black camisole for underneath. A pair of black slacks that weren’t too long or too short. To your relief she even gave you a pair of black ankle high boots that were open toed. It was probably a bit formal for an interview at a mom and pop type restaurant but you didn’t care. You wanted to try to make a good impression.

She took you to a salon that she frequented with some cash from Steve. You were just happy that they were able to cut off your split ends and give you some layers. That left your hair to your shoulders and you were relieved. You almost were feeling like your old self when the hair dresser showed you what you looked like. A small smile was on your face before Wanda was going to pay and the two of you headed out. 

Wanda was the one to take you out on the subway for the first time. She subtly told you that Bucky had a fear of it and Steve tended to avoid it for Bucky. Unless he was alone when going somewhere. You were a little relieved when you both finally got home. You thanked her before going to unlock the door with your brand new key. It had been sitting on your nightstand when you woke up that very day. It was attached to a key ring that was also sporting a key-chain that had Brooklyn on it. 

The door opened and you were greeted by the smell of what you assumed was pizza. You were surprised since the two of them had made a point of making home cooked meals. You went to shut the door behind you and slowly leaned down to pull off your shoes. You saw Bucky and Steve were actually sitting in the living room instead of at the dining room table. There was a box of pizza on the coffee table. 

Just the sight of the two of them made you smile. They were the closest thing to a family that you had at that moment. You went to shrug off the light jacket that you had put on. After hanging it up, you walked towards the couch. Steve was smiling and motioned for you to sit between them. They always tended to stick you in the middle from what you noticed. You plopped down and Bucky handed you a large slice of cheese pizza. You eagerly took a bite before you leaned back and looked towards the TV that was currently on.

“So what are we watching?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who is back from the dead? Sorry this update took so long! Work and real life just seem to keep me busy! I finally got my muse back for this! So I hope you enjoy! Sorry if this seems to be going slow but I promise that things will get interesting very soon! Let me know what you think! And thank you to every single person who has bookmarked, left kudos and reviewed this!

“I got a job!” 

You practically yelled it the moment you walked into your home.

The smile on your face just wouldn’t go away. It was almost as if it was impossible for you to not be happy. It had been weeks of searching for a job. You had gone on countless interviews and nothing. In fact you hadn’t even told Bucky or Steve about the interview that you had gone on. Part of it was because you didn’t want to jinx it and the other was because you didn’t know if they would approve. 

You had managed to land a job working at a sports bar. The kicker was the uniform which you had shoved in a bag. The uniform consisted of a crop top that looked like a referee’s shirt and a pair of black spanx. It was a bit demeaning but you knew you could not afford to be picky. The last thing that you wanted was to keep depending on the two of them for money. Though they didn’t seem to have any qualms about helping you out. They had made that very clear from the moment that you had shown up in their lives. In fact they seemed happy to have you around. 

Steve had been on the phone but he quickly hung up. He was practically beaming at you due to your words. He had known how much you were worrying about not having a job. It seemed that your smile was infectious given the smile that was appearing on his face. In seconds you found yourself being engulfed in a hug. 

“Congratulations doll!” 

It had taken you some time to get used to how affectionate he seemed to be. At first you had been worried that he wouldn’t warm up to you. After all you had just been a hitch hiker that Bucky had taken pity on. Things still felt strange sometimes but it felt like the three of you had somehow settled in. To your shock your feet were leaving the floor and the bag in your hand dropped. You giggled, squealing in surprise as he twirled you around. 

“We have got to celebrate!” he declared after he set you on your feet,” How about we go out for dinner?” 

You almost wanted to say no but you knew that would be disappointing. Instead you nodded in agreement before telling him that you needed to put your stuff away. Plus you wanted to change into something a little less formal. You had felt like you had overdressed when you arrived at the place. Either way you had landed the job and that was what mattered right? You headed into your room, hearing Steve calling Bucky. 

Apparently Bucky had gone to another appointment. 

You were a bit confused by how often he seemed to be going to see the doctor. He hadn’t offered you any explanation and you weren’t sure he wanted to discuss it. Steve had only mentioned that he was going to be getting a new kind of prosthetic. Apparently it was taking some time to actually get it constructed and required him to see some sort of specialist. You were curious about it but you didn’t think you should ask. It was probably something that he should come to you about. 

You went to change into a light grey romper that you had owned for quite some time. Since you knew the heat wouldn’t break you opted to not grab a jacket. Instead you chose to grab a light purple sweater and pulled on a pair of sandals. You still were adjusting to the fact that you didn’t have to dress practical and had access to a washer and dryer. It still felt like it was only a matter of days ago that you had been living on the streets. 

After changing you walked out into the living room to see Steve had gotten off the phone. He grinned at you and you could tell he was still thrilled for you. 

“Bucky’s going to meet us at the restaurant.” 

The two of you headed out of the house after he got his wallet. You tucked your phone into the pocket of your sweater. Steve led you to the subway station that he had shown you a few days after you arrived. Bucky avoided the subway and you chose against asking why. Together you boarded and managed to find two seats together. More than a few heads turned the second you both came onto the train. 

Of course you knew that it was due to Steve. There was no doubting that he was a looker. Whenever you went out somewhere with him, you noticed women staring. He was practically an Adonis given his build and his stunning blue eyes. Plus his smile could make anyone melt. Steve had draped his arm over the back of your seat. You always felt so incredibly small compared to him. In fact you felt like a dwarf whenever you were with him or Bucky. It wasn’t a bad thing because it made you feel protected in a sense. 

It wasn’t long before you found yourself walking into a rather crowded restaurant. You were a bit surprised since Bucky didn’t exactly love crowds. It took you all of five seconds to see him sitting towards the back and in a corner booth. Bucky was sitting with his back against the wall and you knew he would be able to see everything. Even if you hadn’t been with them for that long, you had picked up on a lot of their habits. How could you not since they were the only people you spent time with? You waved at him which caused his mouth to curve into a smile. 

Steve’s hand lingered on your lower back as the two of you went to join him. Without thinking about it, you were going to slide in besides Bucky. Steve was more than alright with sitting across from the two of you. Before you could try to say hello, Bucky was pulling you into a hug. 

“I told you that you would find something doll!” 

You went to return the hug, feeling your face heat up,” I am just happy that you two had faith in me!” 

It was true that you were extremely happy about that. It had been a very long time since you had anything even close to a support system. The two of them had made it clear that they wanted to help you and that they cared. There were times that you found yourself wishing you could speak to your mother. You still wondered what you had done in order to deserve the saviors that you had managed to find. 

All thanks to you hitch hiking and Bucky being kind enough to stop. 

That felt like it had happened ages ago. 

After you were settled, you began to look through the menu. The waitress stopped by and almost looked disappointed to see you sitting beside Bucky. She sent you an dirty look when she thought you weren’t looking. All you could do was stare at her with your eye brows raised. If only she knew that his significant other was sitting across from the two of you. 

“Hey Bucky want to split the spaghetti with me?” you asked, scooting a bit closer to him as if to look at his menu,” I don’t think I am going to be able to eat it all.” 

While that was true, you just wanted to give the woman a reason to be annoyed with you. Steve’s eye brows shot up over the menu but he didn’t say a word. Bucky glanced down at you, noticing how you were giving him a pleading look. He didn’t seem to realize what was happening. He looked back towards the menu before shrugging. You grinned before pressing a kiss to his cheek, his stubble tickling your lips. 

It was something you had done without thinking but it felt like something had shifted. 

Since you had arrived, you hadn’t exactly been the touchy feely type. Sure you allowed the two of them to hug you or put their arms around you casually. Half the time that was when you were out considering you and they both feared you would get lost in the crowds. Never had you done such a thing before and you could tell it had surprised him. Steve was staring at the two of you as well and the waitress was all but forgotten. 

Bucky’s head turned somewhat and you felt his lips pressing against the crown of your head. 

The waitress’ grip on her pen was tight but she kept the fake smile plastered on her face. You turned your head to look over at her and set the menu down. 

“We’ll take the spaghetti please,” you told her,” And I would like an extra piece of garlic bread because there is no way I am sharing that.” 

You were doing your best to lighten up the atmosphere. 

The rest of the dinner was fairly uneventful but that wasn’t a bad thing. Steve insisted he pay since he was the one who proposed you guys go out to celebrate. When you got home the three of you decided to watch a movie. You ended up falling asleep and practically in Steve’s lap. He ended up being the one to carry you into your room and put you to bed. 

Bucky waited for him to come back and could hear the door shutting. Steve was soon climbing right back on the couch and going to lean into Bucky. His flesh arm went around Steve’s shoulders and he took a deep breath. 

“I told you this would be good.” 

It had been a long time since either of them had gotten close to someone new. The both of them had realized how badly you needed them and maybe they knew they needed you. You just brought something to their home that they hadn’t expected. The three of you were all broken but in different ways. 

“You were right,” said Steve with a sigh,” It’s great having her around.” 

He didn’t allow Bucky a chance to say anything more and instead pressed his lips against his. It wasn’t often that the two of them showed affection. Maybe it was because of their military background. Acts of affection between them were usually done behind closed doors. It wasn’t that they were ashamed but they were more comfortable in the privacy of their own home. Since your arrival they hadn’t done much physically only because they wanted you to be comfortable. 

Bucky eagerly responded, sinking into the kiss. Both of his arms coming to wrap around Steve and pulling him close. The two of them began to fall forward with Steve clambering on top of the other. The couch was barely big enough to accommodate the pair of men but they managed to make it work. Bucky was reaching to pull Steve’s shirt from his frame, deciding that their dry spell was going to be coming to an end. 

“Bedroom,” mumbled Steve the second the kiss broke and his shirt was being pulled from his frame,” We don’t want her to walk in.” 

The both knew that you knew about their relationship. You had never broached the subject since you thought it was best that it was kept private. They hadn’t mentioned it but you knew already they were together. It was just one of those things that the three of you had come to a silent understanding about. Bucky cursed at the fact that Steve wanted them to move considering he didn’t exactly feel like waiting. He had to force himself to nod before allowing Steve to pull him up. Together the two men stumbled through the kitchen and towards the back. 

Steve went into the bedroom first and Bucky all but tackled him onto the bed. 

It was in the middle of the night and you decided you wanted to get some water. Your eyes fluttered open and you realized you were in your bed. The last thing you remembered was that you had been watching some movie that the boys had picked out. Apparently you had fallen asleep and one of them had carried you to bed. In your half awake state, you stripped off your clothes and went to pull on a plain camisole and plaid pajama shorts. 

Your clothing selection was still small since you refused to let them take you shopping. 

You stumbled out of your room and made a beeline for the kitchen. Your hand was reaching out to pull out a glass but you froze when you heard a noise. It wasn’t like the house itself didn’t make noises but it was a noise you hadn’t heard. There were soft grunts, followed by strangled moans and you swore you could hear the bed scraping against the floor. It didn’t exactly take a genius to figure out what was happening in their room. 

You found yourself frozen in your spot right by the fridge. You weren’t an idiot and knew that the two of them had to be physically involved with each other. They just had made of point of not even kissing each other when you were around. You found yourself looking towards their bedroom door which was shut. For some reason you found yourself wondering if they had heard you moving around. It didn’t seem likely from the way that they seemed to be going at it. 

You went to turn on the sink and filled your glass with water. You glanced towards the couch and then back towards their door. You doubted that you could fall asleep knowing what was going on next door to you. You decided to walk into the living room and your foot brushed against something soft. After looking down you realized that it was Steve’s shirt. A soft smile appeared on your face before you went to pick it up and set it on the end table. You snatched the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and curled up on the cushions. Your head resting against one of the throw pillows and you closed your eyes. It wasn’t exactly easy to fall asleep considering how loud their moans were. Of course it didn’t bother you since you were just glad that the two of them could enjoy themselves. 

They both deserved to be happy considering everything they went through! 

In the morning it was Steve that stumbled out of the bedroom first. A good portion of his neck and chest were decorating with bite marks and some hickies. He had pulled on a pair of sweats since he doubted you wanted to see him stark naked first thing in the morning. He fully intended on knocking on your door to see if you wanted some breakfast. To his confusion your door was wide open and you weren’t in your bed. 

Had you already woken up? 

Usually you were the last person to wake up in their house. You just liked sleep and you couldn’t help that fact. His head turned and he looked through the kitchen to see you curled up on the couch. A sense of guilt hit him the second that he saw you there. Had the two of them woken you up? Was that why you had ended up back on the couch?   
He pulled a red t-shirt that was actually Bucky’s from the laundry basket and walked into the living room. He gingerly leaned down only to gently shake your shoulder. 

“Hmm?” 

Your body shifted and the blanket slid down your frame. Steve found himself glancing towards your exposed skin. Though he forced himself to look towards your face. 

“Did we wake you up?” 

His tone showed how guilty he felt. 

You blinked a few times in order for your eyes to adjust to the sunlight that was streaming in. You slowly sat up and reached to rub the sleep from them. 

“Oh, no you didn’t,” you quickly tell him, your tone groggy,” I woke up and I got thirsty and then I just ended up on the couch.” 

You didn’t want him to know that you had heard them. Even if all three of you lived in close quarters, you didn’t think they wanted to know you had heard everything. You had tried to ignore the sounds and had slapped the pillow over your ear at one point. There was no ignoring it but you had done your absolute best. 

Steve had a look on his face that let you know he didn’t believe you. Thankfully he didn’t say a word about it and instead shot you a smile,” So did you want eggs for breakfast?” 

Your first night of work was interesting. 

Instead of wearing your uniform out of the house, you had opted to wear jeans and a t-shirt. It seemed better than letting the two of them see you in such an outfit. You weren’t sure how they would handle it. You changed when you got there in the locker room and you got to shadow one of the other servers. Even if you were nervous, it seemed like a nice enough place. Most of the other girls were friendly towards you and told you not to be nervous. 

You realized rather quickly that you were one of the younger ones working there. 

“You doing okay kiddo?” 

Your head lifted to see that it was Tracy, one of the servers. She had been there since they had opened and she had mentioned how she had two kids. Her husband had stopped by earlier in order to get the house keys. She seemed doting and like the motherly type even in the wonderful uniform. 

You nodded as you picked up the empty beer bottles and threw them into the dish bin. Since it had started to slow down, you decided to help out the bus boys. You were just happy to be busy and to be working. It was nothing like the ice cream shop but it was better. You knew that you were going to get some good tips considering the money you had seen left on the tables. Men seemed to be very generous when they were drunk. 

“You can probably head out of here early,” she told you as she went to help you clean up the rest of the mess,” Lenny won’t mind, you’ve done good for your first night.” 

You couldn’t help but feel good about the fact that she seemed impressed,” Thanks,” you tell her,” I’ll just change in the back and get out of the way.” 

You go to pick up the bin but pause, biting down on your lip,” Can I order food? I think I’m gonna bring my roommates dinner.” 

“Roommates?” she asked, her tone curious,” Of course you can, just go back in the kitchen and let the guys know you want, we get fifty percent off.” 

The other server you had shadowed had split some of her tips with you since you had helped her out. You didn’t like the idea of just hovering while she worked. She had been more than happy to let you do the things that she didn’t have the time to do when it was busy. You went into the kitchen and ordered some spicy wings, three burgers with different toppings on all of them. Plus you chose to also order the cheese fries since it sounded good. They told you it would be up soon and you went to clock out. After changing and shoving the uniform in your bag you went out to wait for the food. 

You were just happy that you were earning your own money. Sure you were working at a place that most women wouldn’t dare set foot in. The outfit was a bit much for you but you knew that you needed a job. So that was why you had taken it and you thought you might make some more friends. It wasn’t that you didn’t love having Steve and Bucky but you thought you needed to socialize on your own. They had introduced you to a few of their friends since you had moved there. Wanda and you had even spent some time together away from the house. 

Finally your order came up and you quickly paid for it. It was a quick train ride home and you were walking inside. It was a relief that you didn’t see the table set or smell any food. Steve was sitting in the dining room but he had a sketch pad in front of him. Bucky was sitting on the couch and the news was on. You could faintly hear something about Stark industries and how they were reaching the new frontier for clean energy. 

You went to kick the door shut and held up the bags of food in your hands. 

“Honey I’m home!” 

Your voice seemed to startle the both of them and Steve dropped his pencil. Bucky looked like he was in shock for only a moment before his shoulders sagged with relief. You sometimes forgot that the both of them were jumpy. That was a bad word to describe it but you knew they both had their own issues. 

“You brought food?” asked Steve, going to take the bags from you,” It smells delicious.” 

“And I paid for it with my tips!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that I have been taking forever! I hope people are still interested! Things are going to be moving faster in a few more chapters! So enjoy this! I will try to update this once a week if not more! Real life has been keeping me pretty busy! But things are calming down!

“So, you are going to be gone for a week?” you asked, looming in the doorway of Bucky and Steve’s bedroom. 

Bucky was going between the closet and the bed where his duffel bag was resting, open. He had apparently been offered a job and was going to be gone for seven days. You felt a bit strange about being left alone with Steve even if you did like him. It was just that Bucky was the one who had found you. He was the one that you just felt extremely close with out of the two. You almost wished you could go with him, but you couldn’t because of your own job. 

“Gonna miss me doll?” 

His tone was teasing, and he glanced up towards you for a moment. Then it was right back to shoving some clothes into his bag. You made a face before daring to take a step into the room followed by another. It took you a few moments before you lowered yourself onto their bed. You peered into the bag to look at what he had packed. 

“Maybe a little,” you told him with a shrug,” Are you going to miss me?” 

He threw the dark green sweatshirt into his bag before he was looking directly at you. The look in his eyes was a very sincere one. You weren’t even sure why you had asked him that. It wasn’t like he owed you anything but there he was with a smile on his face. 

“Of course,” he told you, his fingers reaching to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear,” But I know that you and Steve will look after each other.” 

You knew that it was true considering how the two of them seemed to worry about you. It was something that you had never thought you would get. You shot him a smile before peering in to look towards his bag. You wanted to make sure that he had everything that he might need and then some. 

“Well I will be sure we have a big dinner when you come home,” you promise him as he goes to zip his bag shut,” And make sure you eat and try to get some sleep.” 

You weren’t trying to be a mother hen, but you knew he had problems sleeping. You were almost certain that both men did but you hadn’t said a word. At least until now and there was a look of surprise on his face. He shook his head at you before he was pressing a kiss to your forehead. 

You practically hopped off the bed after he pulled back,” I’ll pack you a sandwich! So, you can have a lunch ready whenever you make a stop!” 

Or he could eat it on the road, but you just wanted to do something. It felt strange to know that he was going to be gone. You knew that Steve was used to it. That didn’t make it any less weird for you. You went to make him a ham sandwich that included lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo. After placing that in a plastic bag, you went to set it aside. You went to grab him a bottle of water as well, a small bag of kettle chips and that was that.

By the time you had put all three items in a small paper bag, Bucky was packed. He was walking into the laundry room and towards the kitchen. You were still unsure about how things would be when he was gone. Though you knew that it had to be okay since everything had been since you had arrived. 

He went to take the bag from you and pressed a sloppy kiss to your cheek. 

“I’ll check in as often as I can,” he promised before you were pulling him into a hug. 

You couldn’t see the smile that graced his features. Your arms wrapped around him as best as you could considering his size. He held you for a few more moments before pulling back. 

“See you soon doll.” 

“Be safe!” you called out as he headed out the door and down the front steps. There was already a cab waiting for him at the curb. You stood in the doorway, watching as he put his stuff in the trunk. After that he waved before getting into the backseat and soon, he was off. 

You knew that Steve was going to be home soon. He had left early in the morning due to something going on with a veteran he was helping. You didn’t ask too many questions about what he did down at the VA. All that you did know was that he was helping people and that seemed to help him. 

You didn’t have work that day, so you weren’t sure what you wanted to do with yourself. If you wanted to just hang out at the house or maybe run some errands. Perhaps you could try to spend some time with Wanda. You hadn’t seen much of her since you had started your new job. Though you were grateful for the hours that you had been given so that way you could have some sort of income. 

Before you could even try to make up your mind, your cell phone began to ring. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey doll, I forgot my phone at the house.” 

“Steve?” 

It sounded like Steve, but you weren’t sure entirely. 

“Yeah, do you think you could bring it to me?” 

You were nodding even though he couldn’t see you. You held the phone up to your ear before making your way towards his room. 

“Sure, where is it?” 

“Should still be plugged in, on the nightstand.” 

It seemed that he was right with his prediction. You spotted it resting on top of what looked to be one of his sketch pads. His nightstand was on the left side of the bed. There was a small lamp and you noticed a framed photograph. It looked like it was a photo of Steve when he was a lot younger with a woman you expected to be his mother. The two of them were sitting in what you assumed was Central Park, on a picnic of some kind. 

You smiled before going to pull the phone from the charger. 

“Got it, I’ll just need the address.” 

Steve did you one better by telling you which train you could take. You told him that you would see him soon before hanging up. After placing both phones in your purse, you went to get dressed. After all you were still dressed in your pajamas. You ended up choosing a grey off the shoulder top and a pair of black jeans. For shoes you pulled on a pair of boots that you had fallen in love with from a thrift shop. 

You were still being frugal with your money. 

Quickly you hurried out and you just barely managed to catch the train. You almost felt like you were a native New Yorker considering how long you had lived there. Bucky and Steve had managed to show you almost everything that you needed to know. Though there had been a few times you had gotten lost. During those times you had never been more thankful for GPS since it was rare people would stop to help you. 

You walked from the stop and found yourself standing in front of the VA. There were a few people hanging around outside of it. Steve didn’t seem to be among them, so you made your way inside. You weren’t entirely sure what you had been expecting but the building seemed nice enough. A few people inside were glancing your way, clearly wondering what you were doing there. You found yourself approaching the front desk where a woman was sitting. 

She seemed to be enjoying a cup of steaming hot coffee while talking to someone on her headset. 

You found yourself walking towards her and resting your hands-on top of the desk. 

“I’m looking for Steve Rogers,” you told her after she ended her conversation,” He forgot his phone at home.”

She was looking you up and down as if she was inspecting you. Maybe she was but you couldn’t help but feel a tad uncomfortable. You were wondering if maybe she had a crush on Steve. Honestly it wouldn’t be a shock considering how much attention he garnered from women. You couldn’t blame her for it, but you could be annoyed with how she was looking at you. 

“I believe he’s running a support group,” she explained to you,” On the second floor and the third door on the right.” 

You were just relieved she finally told you where he was. Otherwise you would have been forced to stare at her. Possibly even bug her even more than you already had. You merely shot her a smile in thanks before turning and heading up the staircase. A few other people were glancing at you as you brushed by. Did you really stick out that much? 

You were humming under your breath as you reached the second floor. There was the sound of voices floating from down the hall a bit. Steve’s voice was one of them to your relief. You felt strange walking around an unfamiliar place. Even if you knew that it was where Steve worked. After taking a deep breath you rapped your knuckles against the door.

Instantly you had plenty of eyes set on you. There was a group of maybe ten men sitting in metal folding chairs in a circle. All of them looked a little exhausted from what you could see. One of them was sporting an eye patch. Another looked to have lost his leg up to his knee. The only reason you could tell was he had shorts on. 

Steve was sitting at the helm of the group. He was smiling when he realized that it was you. Beside him was a man dressed in a grey t-shirt and jeans. He seemed to be glancing from Steve to you with his eye brows raised. 

“Sorry for interrupting,” you meekly spoke,” I just wanted to drop this off.” 

You held up the phone in your grasp after digging it out of your purse. Steve clapped his hands together before he was climbing to his feet. 

“Everyone this is the woman I told you about,” he explained, walking over and resting his hand on your lower back,” She’s staying with Bucky and me for a while.” 

Did they all know Bucky? 

More importantly, Steve had been talking about you? 

You shyly waved to which they all mumbled some version of hello. Though the man who had been sitting by Steve was getting up and moving towards you. 

“I thought that he was going to hide you forever,” he told you with a smile before holding his hand out,” I’m Sam.” 

Sam was someone that you had heard both Bucky and Steve mention once or twice. You were just relieved that he seemed nice enough. You went to slide your hand into his and shook it. 

“Nice to meet you too.” 

Steve was pocketing his phone before glancing towards the two of you. He was standing a bit closer to you than he usually did. Maybe it was because all of you were in a room full of men. Though you assumed that they were his friends. 

“I should let you get back to it,” you paused,” I don’t want to keep you.” 

“We are almost done so how about you wait, and we can go to lunch?” 

 

You were surprised at Steve’s offer but nodded. You knew that if you just went home that you likely would just be doing some cleaning. Perhaps even doing some research on going back to school. Steve had been encouraging you to do it. Though you doubted that you would ever actually do so. 

“Sure, I’ll just go outside.” 

After you left the room you heard them talking a bit more. Steve was the last one to speak, encouraging them all to come back. After that there was the shuffling and the sound of chairs being pushed back. You were leaning up against the wall and glancing around. Soon Steve appeared, and Sam was right behind him to your amusement. 

“Are you joining us?” you asked, standing upright.

Steve seemed surprised that you asked such a question. His lips parted to speak but Sam was clapping his hand on his friend’s shoulder. 

“Of course, I am,” he told you with a grin that spelled trouble,” I’m thinking Indian food.” 

That was how the three of you ended up taking a cab to some local spot that Sam knew about. The restaurant was small, and you wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t there. From the looks of it, it was run by a family. You were seated in a small booth that was squished in the corner. Steve sat beside you and Sam across. 

It wasn’t a shock when Sam began to pepper you with questions. 

Some of them made you uncomfortable but others were fine.

Steve jumped in more than once to help you out. 

You knew that it was merely because Sam was being a good friend. Sam clearly wanted to protect him, and you wondered how much he knew. If he knew that Bucky had literally scooped, you up from the side of the road. The idea of him knowing didn’t really bother you. You weren’t entirely sure if the boys wanted anyone to know. 

It was kind of a relief when you went back home. Steve promised that he would be home in a few hours. He walked you to the train station and pressed a kiss to your forehead. Of course, you weren’t surprised when he asked you to text him to let him know when you were home. He still liked to worry about you even if it had been weeks of you living with them. 

The train ride back home didn’t take long. Instead of heading straight inside, you chose to go knock on Wanda’s door. You felt like you could use some girl time. Plus, you knew that you hadn’t been around much and hoped she wasn’t feeling like you had forgotten about her. To your disappointment there was no answer.

You merely sighed before going back down the steps and going into your place. You made sure to shoot Steve a text before going to plop down on the couch. For some reason you felt like you were in some sort of funk. Maybe it was because of Bucky leaving. Even if you had gotten close to Steve, you still felt closer with Bucky. Maybe it was because of how he took care of you on the road. Or how he had convinced Steve to let you live there. 

You curled up with one of the throw pillows. All the while wondering just how long everything would last. Even if you loved staying with them, you knew it couldn’t be forever. You hadn’t told them about that since you didn’t want them to freak out. Instead you had opted to put a small amount of money from your tips and checks into a savings account.

You knew that you were possibly just preparing in case there was a fallout. A very small part of you still worried about your family. That your father might decide that he wanted to find you. You doubted it would happen but that didn’t stop the thoughts. 

The rest of your afternoon was spent just doing some light cleaning. You unloaded the dish washer and decided to try to make dinner. With what was in the fridge you opted to make some enchiladas. Back before you had left home, your friend’s mom showed you how to make them. You could only hope that yours would turn out alright.  
You were pulling them out of the oven the moment that Steve walked in. 

The grin on his face let you know that he liked the smell of them. 

“Smells good,” he told you as he walked over,” And it looks great.” 

You smiled at him as you went to set the casserole dish onto the counter. 

“I figured I could make this before I have to get going.” 

His eye brows arched up at the mention of you going. 

“I picked up a shift last minute,” you explained,” One of the girls landed herself in the hospital with a case of alcohol poisoning.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit short but it's going to get things going along! I am so happy that I managed to get this out sooner than I thought! Plus I am amazed that people are still interested and liking this! Again let me know what you think! Thank you to all those that comment, bookmark and leave kudos!

The shift at work was thankfully not that bad. 

You managed to get home a little bit after midnight. That was thanks to something being wrong with one of the trains. You had been forced to wait a little bit longer than you would have liked. Not that it mattered to you considering you weren’t in a hurry. Plus you knew that it was likely that Steve had fallen asleep already. He tended to go to bed early and wake up early as well. That was something that you simply could not understand. 

You tried your hardest to be quiet as you stepped inside. All of the lights were off save for the one that was above the stove. You leaned down to untie your converse and pulled them off. They were left by the door and you tried to tread lightly as you walked through the house. The last thing that you wanted was to wake up Steve. 

The floor creaked just as you reached your bedroom. You couldn’t help but wince and your whole body tensed. A few moments went by and when you didn’t hear anything you moved once more. Every move you made was careful as you went to shut the door behind you. After that you felt like it was alright if you made the slightest bit of noise. After peeling off your clothes you opted to put on something comfortable. That something comfortable being one of Bucky’s old faded t-shirts and a pair of shorts. After piling up your hair on top of your head you were going to head to the bathroom. Only to wash your face and brush your teeth as quickly and as quietly as possible. You were still relieved that you had yet to hear any noise come from Steve’s room. 

Maybe you were getting better at being quiet while walking around the house. Though you already knew that Steve likely wouldn’t get annoyed with you. Instead he would just brush it off like it was nothing. That didn’t mean that you wanted to wake him. You knew that both Bucky and him had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Since you had moved in with them you had noticed both of their habits just like they had noticed yours. 

Your bed had never felt so comfortable as it did right then. It had also never been more inviting since you just felt exhausted. The day had been a bit of a strange one as far as you were concerned. It was only mere minutes later that you found yourself drifting off to sleep. Hours went passing by and you hadn’t woken up once. 

Until shouting snapped you out of your restful sleep.

The shouts only seemed to get louder. 

It took you a moment to realize that Steve was in the throes of having a nightmare. A nightmare that clearly was terrifying to him. You threw your covers aside, wondering what you should do. What would Bucky do? Part of you thought of calling him but you didn’t want to disturb him if he was sleeping or driving. Something told you that he was likely driving. 

You wondered if Steve wanted to be left alone. Even though it went against your better judgement you found yourself going to climb to your feet. Quickly scampering towards his door and going to yank the door open. The sight before you was one that you were likely never going to forget. 

Steve was tossing and turning on the bed. His hands were clenching at the sheets that decorated the mattress. His body was dripping with beads of sweat, his bare chest glistening. You had no idea if you should try to wake him. You couldn’t remember the last time you had dealt with someone having a nightmare. It wasn’t like you had any younger siblings. 

Minutes passed before you snapped out of your shocked state. You hurried towards the bed and found yourself timidly reaching to shake him.

“Steve,” you whispered,” Steve, wake up, you’re just having a bad dream!” 

You were almost frightened of what would happen once his eyes did open. Was he going to react violently? You were also wondering just what it was that he was dreaming about. It had to be something horrible from the way that he was thrashing and crying out. 

“Bucky,” he mumbled, his voice pained,” Bucky! Please! Bucky!” 

He was clearly not awake. 

“I have to find him! I have to! Bucky!” 

What was he dreaming of? 

You continued to shake him in hopes that he would finally snap out of it. All the while you were trying your best to whisper words that you hoped were soothing. After what felt like an eternity his eyes finally snapped open. He looked bewildered and it seemed to take him a few moments to process where he was. Finally his eyes landed on you and you were unsure what you should do. It was likely he had never imagined that you would see him so exposed. 

Before you could try to think of something to say you were being propelled forward. He had pulled you down onto the bed by your arm. His grip was like iron as he pulled you against his chest. There was a brief twinge of panic that hit you at his actions. He was wrapping his arms around you as if you were the only person keeping him grounded. 

“Steve?” you asked, your tone meek,” Steve are you okay?” 

His face was pressing against your hair and he was taking shallow breaths. It was the first time you were seeing him in a state that was anything but calm. His hands were grasping at you as if he was trying to make sure you were possibly real. He didn’t seem to be able to bring himself to say anything. You tried your best to relax in his hold. That almost felt like it was impossible. 

“Doll,” he finally croaked after a few minutes passed,” Please don’t be scared of me.” 

Had he heard your thundering heartbeat? 

You shifted in his lap to wrap your arms around him. It was good that he had started to speak since that meant he was becoming present. That he wasn’t lost in the haze of what you assumed were memories. Memories that you felt like he didn’t intend on sharing. You were wondering if there was something that you could do to help. At least besides letting him cling to you the way that he was. 

“I’m not scared of you,” you whispered back in hopes of reassuring him,” I just didn’t know that you had nightmares.” 

He didn’t say another word and his hold tightened on you if that was possible. You had the feeling that you weren’t going to be going anywhere. You were reaching to push his hair up and away from his forehead. If only so you could look him in the eye. The look in his eyes was a glazed over one. Was he still thinking about whatever it was that haunted him? 

How come it had never happened before? 

Was it because Bucky was gone? 

You had the feeling that it might have been but you chose against saying that. Instead you found yourself pressing your lips against his forehead. 

“Do you want some water?” you asked,” Can I get you anything?” 

“Just stay here with me.” 

He was going to lie down and you allowed him to pull you right down. Part of you felt like you should have said no. It felt like it was wrong for you to be in the bed Steve shared with Bucky. You assumed you were on the side of bed that Bucky usually slept on. The pillow and sheets smelled like him. Part of you was unsure what you should do or if you should try to sleep.

Steve was going to roll you onto your side so that your back was facing him. You were trying so hard to relax but it felt strange. He was pressing himself right up against you. One of his arms looped around your middle, his fingers slipping under the hem of your t-shirt. Your body felt like it was on high alert as his fingers began to trace patterns against your skin. 

He was wrapping the both of you up in the blanket that had been strewn about. His breath tickled your ear with every one he took. You had never been so close to him before. Part of you was wondering what Bucky would think if he knew what was happening. The two of them had never actually confirmed their relationship but it was an unspoken matter.   
Even if it was going against your better judgment you found yourself starting to drift off. 

Maybe it was because of how wrapped up with Steve you were. 

His breathing had started to even out and together you two fell asleep. 

The next morning you woke to the sound of a phone ringing. It took more than a few moments for you to remember everything that had happened. Part of you was scared to open your eyes or make a move. You could feel some movement behind you. That was followed by the sound of Steve clearing his throat. Even if you were nervous you chanced glancing over your shoulder. 

Steve was sitting up and had picked up the phone. To your surprise he hadn’t answered and instead just let it ring. A yawn fell from your lips before you were slowly sitting up. Your arms stretched above your head and you took a few deep breaths. You weren’t entirely sure if you should say something. There was a tension that was viable between the two of you. 

You slowly began to scoot towards the foot of the bed.

“Do you want something for breakfast?” 

Your question caught him off guard from the look on his face. 

“Sure.” 

You bounded off the bed and hurried towards your room. You had barely stepped into it when you heard your own phone ringing. Bucky’s name and picture flashed on the screen. 

Had he been the call that Steve chose to ignore? 

You didn’t think twice about going to answer it. 

“Bucky?” 

“Doll! How are you? Miss me?” 

Your teeth sunk into your lip at the question. You went to plop down onto your bed and stared down at the floor. 

“I’m good, just woke up and of course I miss you!” 

“Is Steve awake?” 

Did you want to give him the honest answer? 

If you told him the truth you knew he would realize Steve had ignored the call. The last thing that you wanted was to cause some sort of problem. 

“I haven’t gotten out of bed yet,” you lied,” I’m not sure.” 

“Did you work last night?” 

“I picked up a shift for one of the girls, it wasn’t too bad.” 

You were instantly reminded of how he still didn’t know the truth about where you worked. It was still safer in your head if neither of them knew. The both of them were protective and it had gotten worse. You were unable to help but wonder how they would react when they found out. 

“Did you and Steve do anything?” 

“I actually went to the VA yesterday, met Sam.” 

“How was that?” 

His tone sounded a bit tense. 

“He was nice, asked me a lot of questions.” 

There was nothing but silence. 

“What kind of questions?” 

You didn’t exactly want to get into what you had been asked. Instead you tilted your head and took a deep breath. You were trying to figure out what to say. 

“Just the basic ones,” you explained,” But, um, listen, I was going to make some breakfast so would it be okay if I call you later?” 

“Of course doll! I’ll talk to you tonight!” 

You hit the end button before tossing the phone to the side. Your hands were reaching to cover your eyes and you took a breath. It was so very complicated to you and you didn’t think it would be. There had been so many blessings for you ever since Bucky had picked you up so long ago. Was it all going to fall apart? 

Work was a god send for you that afternoon. It let you get out of the house and away from Steve. He was acting rather strange which was to be expected. He had excused himself after breakfast to go on a run. By the time he got back you were already getting ready to go. You had promised to pick up something for dinner and that was the extent of the conversation. You couldn’t get the image of him out of your head. 

He had looked so helpless and so frightened. 

It was hard for you to imagine him being either of those things. After all he had always seemed like the strong and stable one. He had always seemed so well and put together. Work was only somewhat busy and you walked away with sixty dollars in tips. You chose to stop at the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner. You took your time since you weren’t exactly excited to head home. 

You were scared about what you would find when you got home. 

It was a surprise when you approached your home to find Wanda sitting on the steps. She wasn’t alone, accompanied by a man who looked to be around her age. He was rather easy on the eyes and the both of them were smiling. Though you noticed that they were also speaking in Russian. 

Who was he? 

“Hey Wanda,” you greeted, brushing a loose strand of hair out of your eyes,” Who is this?” 

“Kukla! This is my brother, Pietro,” she exclaimed, rising to pull you into a hug,” I was wondering when you two would meet!” 

Pietro followed suit and climbed to his feet. He seemed to be sizing you up to your confusion. You knew that you might possibly look like a mess. You had your uniform shoved into your bag. You were wearing a gray t-shirt and a pair of torn up jeans. Your hands were full with your bag and the groceries. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” he finally said, his voice smooth like butter,” My sister has done nothing but talk about the girl that moved in below.” 

You almost felt awkward. 

To your surprise he was holding his hand out to you. You had to do some shuffling to get your hand free and went to place yours in his. 

“It’s great to meet you,” you told him with a smile,” I would love to talk more but I have perishables.” 

Pietro was nodding in understanding and going to pull open the door for you. You shot him a smile before nodding to Wanda and heading inside. You pulled out your keys in order to unlock it. The sound of the TV was what greeted you when you stepped inside. Your head turned to see that Steve was planted on the sofa. He had a sketch pad in his lap and there was some old movie on. It was in black and white but he didn’t seem to be paying attention to it. Instead his sole focus was the sketch pad that was cradled on his legs.

“I thought I might make some egg rolls for dinner.” 

Steve barely nodded but you could see that he was acknowledging you. You chose against hovering in order to walk towards the kitchen. You were setting the bags on the counter and taking a breath. Did you want to shower before you started cooking or after? You were debating this when you heard someone clearing their throat. 

“Doll?” 

Your head lifted to see Steve was hovering near the entryway of the kitchen. He almost looked bashful considering he wasn’t looking towards you.

“Yeah?” 

“I want-well-I want or I need to explain.” 

You froze when you realized what he was saying. 

“I need to explain the nigh-nightmares and what I did afterwards.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit short but here we are! Things are picking up for this and I already have the next few chapters planned! Enjoy and let me know what you guys think! Thank you to those that have left kudos, comments and bookmarked this!

Part of you was unsure about knowing the truth behind Steve’s nightmares. 

That was due to the fact that you didn’t know much about his past. It was the past that obviously involved Bucky and the war they had fought in. You thought it was part of their life that you would never be privy to. After all they had been put through so much and you didn’t want to force them to talk about it. All you wanted was to be sure that they both were okay and maybe even that they were happy. You knew how hard it was on the both of them to go on living after seeing the things they had. Plus you knew that Bucky still suffered from the loss of his arm. 

He never complained but you knew better. 

There had been a few times you had noticed him wince. Sometimes he’d look down at his prosthetic as if he couldn’t believe that his real arm wasn’t there. You always pretended you never saw those things. It was just something that you knew Bucky would prefer to act like never happened. Both of them never wanted to expose you to any sort of weakness. That was how it had been since you had moved in with them. That was how you thought it would always be. 

At least up until that very moment that Steve wanted to explain his nightmares. 

You were unsure how to react to the fact that he wanted to open up. Every move you made was slow as you reached to begin to pull the groceries from the bag. You didn’t want to act different around him if you could help it. Though maybe the talk that you were going to have was meant to be done sitting down. 

“If you want to tell me you can,” you told him, going over to the fridge to put away the juice,” Would you mind helping me put this stuff away while we talk?” 

That caused him to shoot you a weak but relieved smile. In an instant he was moving to help you put away everything. He was putting the stuff in the cupboards that you couldn’t possibly reach. Whereas you were putting things away that belonged in the fridge and the freezer. You knew that maybe you should say something to get the conversation going. Of course you also wanted Steve to take things at his own pace. So you found yourself remaining silent as you put the apples in the crisper. 

“I know Bucky hasn’t told you about how he lost his arm,” breathed Steve, leaning up against the counter,” I won’t go into that because it’s not my story to tell but it’s part of my nightmares.” 

You let the fridge slam shut before going to stand in front of him. You rested against the other counter, right by the sink. Both of your hands rested against the edge. No words came from you and instead you merely waited to see if he would continue. It seemed like your best or rather safest option. 

“There was a mission that we were sent on,” he explained,” I had a bad feeling but Bucky, well, being Bucky insisted that everything was going to be alright.” 

Obviously it hadn’t been alright. 

He took a breath before glancing down at your feet,” Needless to say things didn’t go as planned and Bucky-well-he went missing.” 

His throat was constricting and you could see how much he was struggling to speak. You timidly reached out to take his hand into yours, your fingers lacing with his. You wanted to show him that it was okay for him to take his time. That he didn’t need to keep going even if he didn’t want to. 

“My orders were to return to camp,” he whispered,” But I didn’t want to, I wanted to find him and my unit had to drag me back, I was fighting them but it was useless.” 

You could only imagine how Steve must have felt with wanting to find and save his friend. After all the two of them were as close as they could possibly be. They had grown up together and a bond had formed. A bond that had evolved into something more than mere friendship between the two of them. It was not something that you could even begin to understand but you respected it. 

“So on the nights that Bucky isn’t here, sometimes, I dream about that night and it’s because he isn’t right there beside me, he doesn’t-he doesn’t know that.” 

You sighed, knowing how guilty he must have felt. His story only made you that much more curious about what had happened with Bucky. You doubted that he would be willing to tell you his side of the story for a long while. You had no idea how Bucky would react to knowing his being gone messed with Steve so badly. Steve clearly didn’t want Bucky to feel guilty about doing what he did for a living. 

“Do you maybe want me to lay with you?” you found yourself asking,” At least till you fall asleep?” 

He seemed perplexed by your question. You weren’t even sure what made you suggest it. When he had started to talk you couldn’t help but think of him like a little lost puppy. You had the feeling that he rarely opened up about his past and the incident that led to Bucky losing his arm. You knew that you might not be able to be there for him every single night given that your hours at work did vary. 

That didn’t mean that you couldn’t be there for him. 

He was slowly nodding before pulling you against his chest once again. His arms wrapped around you and you slowly reached to wrap your own around him. All thoughts of the dinner you had intended on making had flown out the window. Instead you were solely focused on this man in your arms. The man who tried so hard to seem like he was perfectly alright. Both him and Bucky liked to act like they were fine and played it tough. You were starting to know better when it came down to the both of them. 

Though you feared that they would start to see past your walls. 

That night was the first night you headed straight into their room. After brushing your teeth and putting on pajamas, you crawled right into their bed. Once again you found yourself laying on Bucky’s side. Steve was already settled and waiting to shut off the lamp. Neither one of you spoke and soon the room was enveloped in darkness. You found yourself staring up at the ceiling, wondering if you were going to be able to sleep. 

There was a tension that was impossible to ignore. 

Even if you were nervous and unsure, you turned onto your side to face him. His eyes were open and he was looking towards the window. At least he had been up until he felt you move. His head turned and you could see the questioning look in his eyes. You shot him a small smile before scooting a bit closer. He took the hint and went to lift his arm to allow you to rest against him. Your head came to rest against his shoulder. You tucked one arm close and the other draped across his front. 

“Thank you doll,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to your forehead,” I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here right now.” 

You had the feeling he had just suffered in silence until you had come along. You merely nuzzled into him in response since you didn’t want to make things awkward. His fingers were dancing across your shoulder, slipping beneath the sleeve of your t-shirt. To your surprise he was tracing patterns against your skin. It was due to that touch and the warmth he provided that you found yourself falling asleep. 

Every single night for the rest of the week you were in their bed. 

It wasn’t something that Steve or you spoke of during the day. Bucky wasn’t aware since neither of you felt like you should tell him. Instead it was just a secret between the two of you. You thought that maybe something would be off when you guys were around each other and awake. Instead things seemed just fine and almost too normal. Though you knew better than to try to push your luck. All you did was focus on work, hung out with Wanda once or twice and made sure to be there when Steve wanted to go to sleep. 

The day Bucky came home you were sitting out on the steps with Wanda. She had decided to make some margaritas and you were enjoying the sun. Of course you knew that the nice weather was quickly going to be coming to an end. That was why you were content to sit outside in your tank top and shorts. Your feet were bare since you didn’t see the point in putting on shoes. Wanda was telling you about this party that she had been invited to and how she wanted you to come with. 

A cab was pulling up to the curb which distracted the both of you. You set your drink down only to watch as Bucky climbed out of the backseat. Instantly you were squealing and rushing down the steps. Bucky barely had time to blink before he found you in his arms. You were a mess of arms and legs as you practically attacked him. 

“Bucky!” 

He reached with one arm to slam the door shut and held you tightly with the other. His chest rumbled as he laughed while going around to grab his bag from the trunk. After he slammed the trunk shut the cab was off. The bag was dropped and he held onto you as tightly as he could without hurting you. You were just incredibly happy to see him since he had never been gone after bringing you home. You also knew that Steve would be thrilled. 

“I missed you doll,” he mumbled as his hand reached to run through your hair,” Have you been drinking?” 

A guilty expression danced across your face. You knew that he didn’t like the idea of you doing things that you weren’t technically allowed to be doing. You didn’t see the harm but you knew when to pick your battles. It was the first time that you had a drink since you had come to Brooklyn. It wasn’t the first time that you had ever consumed alcohol. After all most teenagers tried it and you had followed the tradition. 

Of course you had ended up puking in the parking lot of a gas station the first time. 

“Just a tiny bit,” you told him and gave him your best puppy dog eyes,” I don’t work tonight so I thought it would be fine!” 

Bucky merely shot Wanda a rather pointed look. She only smiled and waved to him in response. You were on the move in mere seconds. He was carrying both you and his duffel up towards the steps. Wanda was already on her feet and going to hold the door open for you. Soon the two of you were walking into the apartment. Steve was just walking out of the bathroom and only had a towel swathed around his waist. Beads of water were cascading down his bare chest. 

He looked perplexed at the sight of the both of you. 

“I didn’t think you would be home for a few hours.” 

Bucky was grinning as he set you down on your feet. In a few strides he was pulling Steve into his arms. You found yourself smiling at the sight of the two of them embracing. You knew that Steve had to feel some relief now that Bucky was back. After all that meant a break from his nightmares. Though you had no idea if he had any since you had slept in his bed the whole week. If he had you hadn’t woken up to him crying out and shifting helplessly beside you. 

“I rushed,” Bucky explained after pulling away from Steve,” I missed you two.” 

“And we missed you,” you piped up with made Steve grin,” Need help unpacking?”   
The three of you headed into their room to get him unpacked. Steve disappeared to get dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. You were just happy to have Bucky back home. Bucky seemed thrilled to be back home with the two of you. You knew that the runs were something that helped him cope. However he always liked to come home to the ones that he cared about. He had made it clear to you that you were important to him. 

You finally felt like you had a family. 

Steve was the one who ended up doing most of the unpacking. Bucky and you were settled on the bed while you asked him questions. He returned your questions with ones of his own. He wanted to know how work was doing and how you had kept busy while he was gone. Of course Steve interjected with his own comments once or twice. It wasn’t long before Steve joined the both of you on the bed. 

The duffel bag had been shoved onto the closet shelf where it always was kept. You had started to realize where they kept everything and memorized it. Plus in the week that you had been sleeping in their bed you had started to notice things about their room. Small things but you had the feeling that they were important nonetheless. In the midst of their talking you found that Bucky was migrating towards you. 

It wasn’t long before he made himself comfortable right behind you. His chest came to meet with your back and you were nestled between his legs. His good arm was reaching to wrap around you as he listened to Steve talk about how things were going at the VA. You were content to just listen since you had already heard all of Steve’s stories from the past week. The two of you had done quite a bit of talking, probably more than you ever had since you moved in. 

“So what are we having for dinner?” asked Bucky and you realized very quickly he was actually speaking to you. 

You had been day dreaming and nearly falling asleep against him. That was possibly due to the alcohol that was in your system. You tried your best to perk up when you realized both of them were staring at you. You already knew that there was no possible way you could even try to cook. The idea of it just didn’t appeal to you in the slightest. 

“How about pizza?” you asked,” From your favorite place?” 

You felt like since it was Bucky’s homecoming he should be the one to decide. That was why you had opted to suggest his favorite pizza place. Steve was nodding in agreement and going to grab the menu from the menu drawer. That left Bucky alone with you for a few moments. 

“How was he while I was gone?”

The question made your body go tense. 

You didn’t know if you should lie or tell the truth. 

You didn’t want to worry Bucky or make Steve mad. 

“He missed you,” you told him, choosing your words carefully,” But I did my best to distract him and keep him happy.” 

That wasn’t the whole truth but it wasn’t exactly a lie. 

The three of you settled into your old pattern in a matter of a few days. You continued to balance work while trying to spend time with the both of them. It was almost strange for you to go back to sleeping alone in your bed. Neither Steve or yourself had brought it up since Bucky was home. You knew that Steve was no longer having nightmares which was a good thing. The other part of you was missing the comfort of laying next to him. 

It felt like something was missing for you. 

It was becoming difficult for you to fall asleep but you hadn’t mentioned it. Instead you had chosen to keep your problem to yourself. The both of them already worried too much about you. You had turned down multiple offers of theirs to walk you to work. You really didn’t want them to know since you knew they wouldn’t like where you worked or your uniform. You were still wearing regular clothes on your way out of the house and changing at work. 

You had just finished working a double and it was around midnight. There had been a last minute table that you had chosen to take. You knew the other server who was working had kids to get home to. It also wouldn’t hurt for you to get a little extra cash. That was why you were the last person there besides the cook. Everyone else had gone home and it was time for you to lock everything up. After that would be your usual walk to the bus station. 

You had just finished putting the chairs up when you heard the door swing open. 

Had you forgotten to lock it? 

“I’m sorry but we are,” you stopped mid sentence the second your head turned,” Closed.” 

Standing in the doorway was a very unhappy Steve. You had no idea why he was there or how he had even found out the address. It wasn’t like you had left the restaurant info laying around. Plus you had done your best to avoid telling them anything about your work. You merely told them that you were a server at a local spot. They hadn’t pushed but now it seemed that your bubble had burst. 

His mouth had turned into a thin line. His eyes had narrowed at the sight of you in the crop top and spanx. For the first time since you had started the job you felt awkward. You felt like you wanted to cover yourself up which you knew was stupid. It wasn’t like you were showing something that shouldn’t have been shown. You knew that you should say something but you were practically frozen. 

“I thought I would come walk you home,” he stated,” I was visiting one of the guys from support group, he was having a hard night and he lives around here.” 

He must have seen the logo that you had tried so hard to hide. 

The cook had clearly heard Steve’s voice because he was poking his head out,” Everything alright out here?” 

His voice caused you to snap out of it and your head turned,” We’re all good Bobby! This is just my roommate, he came to walk me home!” 

Bobby nodded before he was disappearing back into the kitchen. You rubbed your hands against the outside of your thighs and dared to take a step closer. 

“Let me-Let me just get my stuff and we can go.” 

Your drawer was already counted and your tips were safely shoved in your bag. You went to punch out and grab your things. You were staring at your locker and wondering if you should bother changing. All you did was shake your head before going to grab your things. All you threw on was the navy blue hoodie you had grabbed earlier in the day. 

You threw your bag over your shoulder before walking out of the locker room. Steve was still standing by the doorway and waiting somewhat impatiently for you. You went to shut off the lights for the bar and dining area. After that you zipped up your hoodie and walked towards the entrance. 

“I’m out for the night Bobby!” 

“See you tomorrow sweetheart!” 

You waved at him through the window before motioning for Steve to go out. He normally would have held the door open but instead stepped right on through. You waited for Bobby to come out to lock up after you stepped out. He shot you a smile as he twisted the lock before disappearing. 

You let out a sigh, wheeling around to face Steve. All you were waiting for was the yelling to start. You were wondering just how angry he was given the look on his face. He was still staring at you and your slightly exposed form. It wasn’t exactly like he hadn’t seen you in next to nothing before. There had been a few times you had walked around the apartment in a towel or even just a t-shirt. 

Steve was reaching to wrap his arm around you and pull you right up against him. Every single muscle in his frame seemed to be tensed up. He felt like a wall made of steel pressed up against you. You chose against speaking and instead allowed him to steer you towards the subway station. The two of you merely sat down together and didn’t say a word. You were just waiting for the explosion that you knew was coming. There was no way in the world that it wasn’t. 

The walk to the house was even spent in silence. Though Steve made a point of keeping you pressed close. You were practically jittery from how nervous you felt. You were hoping that Bucky was asleep but you had the feeling he wasn’t. He didn’t really seem to sleep if the house was empty. It was a relief when the two of you were inside and you set your bag down by the door. Every move you made was slow but you were reaching to unzip your sweatshirt. 

Steve had gone towards the kitchen to grab himself a beer. You were surprised but didn’t say anything. Instead you went to shrug off your sweatshirt while taking a deep breath. 

“Were you ever planning on telling us?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOODNESS! The amount of love I got from the last chapter was nothing short of amazing! Thank all of you so much for your kind words and I love that people are invested in this! This chapter is a bit short as well but it's getting things going! And look it, I updated it right away! So here it is! I hope you enjoy this! Again let me know what you think and I love you guys so much!

The question was a simple one. 

You knew that it was one that you could very easily answer. 

The words just seemed to be caught in your throat. You knew that it wasn’t right that you had kept your job a secret. The fact that the uniform was skimpy was why. When you had been hired you had known that both Steve and Bucky would not like it. They would think that you were demeaning yourself to make a living. You knew from the start that was exactly what you were doing. It was just something that you had to deal with and that was exactly what you had been doing. At least up until Steve had shown up and ruined it all. 

You weren’t entirely sure how to tell him why you had hid it. 

From the look he was giving you he was not going to leave it alone. 

You probably wouldn’t get to go to bed until he got an answer. 

“Are you going to answer me?” 

His tone was sharp and he was bristling. 

“I didn’t-I wasn’t sure how to explain it,” you said slowly,” I knew that you two wouldn’t like it but it was the only place that offered me a job.” 

Steve’s lips parted only to close then open again. It was clear that he was struggling to figure out what to say. You knew that he had to understand your side of things. After all you wanted to get back on your feet and that was what you had been doing. All they had wanted when they invited you to live with them was for you to get a job. They wanted things to be better for you but Steve felt like they weren’t. At least not if you were slinging drinks wearing so very little clothing. 

The silence was interrupted by the sound of a door opening which was followed by footsteps. A sense of dread washed over you at the fact that Bucky was awake. All you could do was wrap your arms around your bare midriff. You knew already that you were not going to be able to disappear into your room. Instead you stood there in the middle of the living room feeling like the world could just swallow you up and you would be fine with that. 

Bucky was reaching to rub the sleep from his eyes as he walked through the kitchen,” What’s going on? I woke up and I was alone.” 

His tone dropped upon the sight of the two of you standing there. His eyes grew wide the second that he realized what you were wearing. He seemed to wake up more as he stared at you like he had never seen you before. You gave him a very shy wave but kept your arms wrapped around your middle. It was the most awkward you had felt in a long time. It was also the first time that you had felt like you didn’t want to be around either of them. 

“Doll? What is this?” 

Your head tilted down as if you didn’t know what he was talking about. That was only to buy you a few seconds before you had to come up with something to say. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other. Both of them were staring at you, clearly waiting for an answer. You felt like you might possibly crazy being the center of attention. 

“I work at a restaurant slash bar,” you finally spoke,” It’s centered around sports and this is the uniform I have to wear which I knew you wouldn’t like so that’s why I never wore it out of the house or invited you two to come to my work.” 

Bucky had asked you once why you had never asked them to visit you. You had mumbled something about how you just felt like you were settling in. You also said you knew that the girls would stare and ask you endless questions. That part was true but the first line was a lie. Any single time you went out with either of them in public they would be checked out by all kinds of women. It was almost annoying but you had learned to deal with it. 

Bucky seemed perplexed but he wasn’t saying a word. Instead he was staring at you like you had three heads. You glanced at Steve then looked back at him. Both of them were unable to stop themselves from looking at you. Steve looked like he wanted to speak but he didn’t utter a single word. You reached to brush your hair away from your face and took a few steps towards them. 

“I know that it’s not exactly the greatest but I needed a job and they like me there.” At least you thought they did considering you hadn’t been fired. They had never even hinted at you doing something wrong. 

“But you dress like that,” protested Steve, motioning towards your outfit,” You probably get stared at by men twice your age and I’m betting they don’t keep their hands to themselves!” 

He wasn’t exactly wrong but you weren’t going to confirm that. 

You had only dealt with one or two guys who had been on the rowdy side. The owner did his best to keep an eye out for all of the servers. If someone got out of hand they were almost instantly booted out. You doubted telling them that would make them feel any better. 

“I get that it makes you two uncomfortable but I didn’t exactly have job offers being thrown my way,” you meekly protested,” And it’s not that bad!” 

Steve opened his mouth to protest but Bucky was going to hold out his arm as if to show him to stop. 

“Let’s just get some sleep, alright? We can talk more about this in the morning.” 

From his tone you knew there was no way you could get out of it. Instead you just nodded before bolting towards your bedroom. The second you slammed the door shut you felt like you could breathe. Quickly you went to change into a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. The tips you had gotten from the night were placed in a shoe box you kept under your bed. After that you climbed into bed and willed yourself to get some sleep. 

Morning came and you were more than tempted to stay in bed. The idea of hiding under the blanket was one that crossed your mind. You knew that if you didn’t come out that they would likely come into your room sooner or later. After taking a deep breath you climbed up to your feet. You felt like you were possibly marching to your death. Instead of barreling out of your room you decided to get ready for the day. 

You went to pull on a faded old AC/DC shirt that you had found at a thrift shop. It took you a few minutes to decide on a pair of olive green shorts. You knew that it was supposed to be hot out again but you had the feeling it was one of the last days of summer. After brushing your hair you threw it up into a ponytail since it didn’t seem to be cooperating. You were staring at your reflection in the mirror and taking a few deep breaths. 

There was some noise coming from the kitchen. One of them was probably cooking because there was the faint smell of bacon. You knew that you were being silly but you couldn’t help it. You had never disappointed them before. It took you more than a few seconds before you slowly stepped out of your room. The sight that greeted you was Bucky standing at the stove cooking some eggs and bacon.

Steve was nowhere to be found. That was not exactly a good sign in your book. You cleared your throat, watching Bucky’s head turn. He shot you a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. From the look of him you had the feeling he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Had Steve kept him up talking about you? You honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if he had. It had been clear how worked up Steve had been over your work uniform. You knew that he tended to prefer modesty more than most guys you knew. Maybe it was because of how he had been raised. It wasn’t like you showed off a bunch of skin anyway when you were in your regular clothes. 

“Morning,” you timidly mumbled as you stepped into the kitchen,” Need some help?” 

Your hands were twisting in the hem of your t-shirt. Bucky’s gaze went towards them before he let out a sigh. Instead of saying anything he reached with his good arm to pull you into his side. Your body sagged in relief at the fact that he didn’t exactly seem angry. Both of your arms coiled around his middle and he pressed his face into your hair. You could feel him take a deep breath before he was pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“Why wouldn’t you tell us about the job? The uniform?” 

He was whispering but he knew you could hear him. His tone was one of disappointment which was almost worse than anger. You knew that he was probably thinking about the woman that he saw at the truck stops. You’d never forget how he reacted when a guy thought that you were a prostitute. He was probably thinking along the lines of how no one was there to watch over you. At least no one that he knew and trusted enough. 

“I was just so happy that I got a job,” you whispered back,” And it isn’t that bad of a place, my boss is nice and I get along with my co workers, we look out for each other.” 

Even if you weren’t super close with any of the girls, all of you helped each other out. It wasn’t the best place but it wasn’t the worst. You could be dancing on a stage in basically nothing while men threw money at you. Sometimes the customers at the restaurant got a little touchy. Once or twice a guy had slipped a tip into the waistband of your spanx. You had merely shot him a smile before rushing to the back to gagging. 

Bucky didn’t even respond and tightened his hold on you. Confusion filled you but you didn’t want to make things worse. Instead you remained standing there in his arms. The food he had been cooking seemed to be forgotten. You knew that you had messed up by keeping a secret. Even if Steve and you were keeping a secret of your own. You had no idea how badly Bucky would react if he found out. 

“Where is Steve?” you mumbled into his chest after a few moments went by,” I thought he would be here.” 

Bucky let out a sigh before pulling back somewhat to look into your eyes,” He said he needed some space and time to think.” 

Those words felt like cold water being doused on you. Steve being angry with you was one thing but needing space was worse somehow. It meant that he didn’t want to speak to you or even see you. Your entire frame went rigid at the fact that you had clearly made him that angry. You weren’t sure what to do or how you could make it better. You pulled away from Bucky completely and one of your hands reached to rest against your forehead. 

“He doesn’t want to see me?” 

“He just needs space is all.” 

You were shaking your head in disbelief. You never would have thought that Steve would be the one to freeze you out. You had hoped to talk things through with him and make him understand. He was apparently not going to be giving you that chance for a little while. You didn’t know how you were supposed to handle the fact that he was pushing you away. Especially since the two of you had become close the week that Bucky was gone. 

“I think I should give him that space then.” 

Your words clearly troubled Bucky from the look he sent your way. Before he had a chance to question you, you were walking back to your room. Quickly you pulled on some shoes and grabbed your purse. Your house keys were tossed into your purse before you made your way towards the front door. Bucky was calling after you but you chose to ignore him. Instead you high tailed it out to the hallway and found yourself going up the staircase. 

Maybe you weren’t thinking straight but you weren’t too sure you cared. Instead you just walked up to the landing and found yourself knocking on Wanda’s door. You heard what sounded like a loud crash and Wanda cursing in Russian. A few moments went by before her door opened and she looked a tad flustered. 

“Hey,” you greeted shyly,” I know this might be weird but can I hang out here today?” 

You could hear the door downstairs opening and Bucky yelling for you. You shot Wanda a pleading look which prompted her to pull you into her apartment. She made sure to be quiet as she shut the door behind you. She looked like she was in the midst of getting ready for her day. She was half dressed and only part of her hair looked straightened. You felt guilty when you realized you had basically ruined her morning routine. 

“What’s going on kukla?” 

You found yourself confessing everything that had occured in the past twenty four hours. You told her about the job, the uniform and how you had hidden it from them. You also told her how Steve had reacted rather badly. How Bucky explained he wanted some space from you and that’s what you decided to do. Maybe you had chosen to go up to her place because you didn’t know where else to go. 

The only people you were really close to were her and the boys. You had met a few others but you didn’t exactly take the time to really hang out. A troubled expression danced across her face. It was clear that she was trying to think of what to do. You knew that she was going to have to go to work. You weren’t sure if she was willing to let you hang out at her place alone. Though she did seem to trust you. 

“What if I call Pietro?” 

Your head tilted at the mention of her brother. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You could spend the day with him, he’d keep you busy.” 

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend time with someone new. You knew that you needed to do something to keep yourself distracted. Otherwise you would keep stressing about Steve being not too thrilled with you. Even if you were a bit unsure you found yourself nodding. Pietro couldn’t be that bad since he was Wanda’s brother after all. You would just have to take the time to get to know him. 

After deciding that you nodded to show her you were fine with the idea. Quickly she was going to call him and there was a brief conversation in Russian which ended with her smiling. Her phone was set down and she was pulling you into a hug to your surprise. 

“It’ll be alright,” she reassured you,” Just have fun with Pietro today and you can sleep here if you need to.” 

You only hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me I'm on a roll! Three updates in a short span of time! I am still shocked at how much you guys are invested in this! I love every single comment that I get and maybe that's what has motivated me! Plus this story seems to have taken a turn on it's own!! Anyways! Thank to you as always to anyone who has commented, bookmarked and left kudos on this! Enjoy!!!

Steve hadn’t been sure of what he was doing when he had woken up that morning. He just couldn’t let go of the fact that his roommate, his doll wore so little clothing. He would never get the image of her putting chairs up on a table wearing a crop top and spanx. It was not something that he imagined he would ever see. Plus the idea of men seeing her dressed in so little just did something to him. It felt like his insides were twisted up. 

That was what had prompted him to go for a run instead of waiting to talk. He had even called up Sam to see if his friend would join him. The two of them met up at their usual place and soon were taking off down the sidewalk. Not a single word was spoken at first. Instead the only sounds were their feet hitting the pavement and the sound of their exerted breathing. People made sure to get out of their way as they moved along. 

“Are we going to talk about it?” asked Sam when they stopped to grab two bottles of water,” Or are we going to keep pretending that nothing is going on with you?” 

Steve really hated how insightful his friend was. Though he knew deep down that he had called up Sam for more than just a jog. He needed to talk to someone who wasn’t Bucky. Even though he loved Bucky he knew that he wasn’t rational about the new addition to their little family. He could see the way that he looked at her when he thought that no one was looking. It wasn’t rational and he knew it. 

“She works at a sports bar,” he finally uttered,” And she wears this skimpy little outfit.” 

Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he was lost for words. He wasn’t even sure what he had been expecting to hear but it wasn’t that. He had been able to tell that something was going on between Steve and Bucky’s stowaway. He hadn’t been able to put a label on it and maybe he still couldn’t. Though it was clear that something was up given how troubled Steve seemed to be. It was nothing short of confusing if you asked him. 

“And you don’t like the idea of men staring at her? And checking her out?” 

“It’s just-she shows so much skin! She’s young!” 

Sam let out a small laugh and shook his head,” She’s allowed to work wherever she wants,” he explained, speaking slowly and carefully,” Didn’t you tell her that you wanted her to find work?” 

“I didn’t want her to find that kind of work!” 

“How was she supposed to know that?” 

That earned Sam a look that could have killed. Deep down Steve knew that he was quite possibly in the wrong. He had wanted her to find work after all. There was no reason for him to be acting so irrationally. Why was he so bothered by it? It didn’t take a genius to figure it out but Steve couldn’t seem to admit it to himself. In fact he refused to admit it because it was wrong. Not only because of how young she was but because he was already involved with Bucky. 

“You need to think about it man, you can’t ice her out because of how you feel when she hasn’t really done anything wrong.” 

A sigh of defeat escaped from Steve but he was nodding. He knew that he had messed up but he was completely unsure of how to fix it. If there was a possible way to even fix it. After all it was a first for him to be in such a crisis. Things with Bucky were never that complicated. If there was ever some sort of disagreement it was almost always resolved fairly quickly. It was a whole different ball game and he knew it.

Pietro ended up showing up within the hour. By the time he arrived Wanda had already left for work. She told you that she would be home around four or five depending on how the day went. She even gave you her spare key in case you needed to get in again. You knew that she was worried but she couldn’t stick around. You promised to let her know if anything happened before she walked out the door. 

Of course you were worried that Bucky was going to come storming up the steps. It was an immense relief that he hadn’t yet. You had gotten settled on the couch when you heard the sound of keys jingling. That was followed by the knob turning and soon the door opened to show a grinning Pietro. It looked like he had mischief on his mind from the grin plastered on his face. 

“Kukla!” he exclaimed in greeting,” Ready to go?” 

You were surprised at how excited he seemed to be spending time with you. After all you were virtually strangers besides the tidbits that Wanda told the two of you. You nodded as you clambered to your feet. In the back of your mind you were wondering just what it was that Bucky was up to. Had he called Steve? Was he pacing back and forth in the living room? There were plenty of possibilities about what he was up to. The only thing that you were sure of was the fact that he was worried about you but that was it. 

“Where are we going?” 

He playfully wiggled his eyebrows before motioning for you to follow him out the door. Apparently you weren’t going to be informed of just where it was you were going. Either way you were just happy that you were going to be distracted. Otherwise you would have driven yourself crazy worrying about not just Steve but Bucky. You had likely upset him by taking off the way you had but it was like you had been on autopilot. 

It turned out the first stop of the day was actually Brooklyn Flea. Since it was Saturday it was being held in Industry City. The neighborhood it was held in was Sunset Park. Pietro told you that it was a place he and Wanda liked to go to whenever they were free. You were almost sad that she wasn’t able to hang out with you but knew she couldn’t help it. You were just happy to go somewhere new and that seemed interesting. 

“So how come you don’t live in the unit below Wanda? Bucky told me that your parents used to own the building,” you found yourself asking as you looked among the booths. 

Pietro seemed surprised that you knew that tidbit but not angry. 

He shrugged, glancing over at you with his hands in his pockets,” I never wanted to live there but Wanda did and they left it to us in their will.” 

You never knew that their parents were deceased. You nodded, glancing around to see if anything caught your eye. You did have a little bit of money that you were willing to spend. Though you weren’t sure what you really needed. Plus it would mean lugging something around which you didn’t know if you wanted to do. 

“Sorry about your parents,” you apologized,” I didn’t know.” 

“Why would you?” he teased with a smile,” It happened long ago.” 

You were relieved he was making light considering it could have gone in a whole other direction. Out of the corner of your eye you noticed a booth that held jewelry of all kinds. You used to wear all sorts of stuff growing up but it had been left behind. When you had left home you had only taken what you knew you would need. That had resulted in you focusing on clothes that would keep you warm. 

Your eyes scanned everything and the vendor was busy talking with someone else. Pietro was right behind you and peering over your shoulder. He wasn't saying a word but he was being patient. One item caught your eye that was right at the end of one of the tables. You might have missed it if you hadn’t been looking closely. It was a necklace made of small blue stones with a silver charm shaped like an arrowhead. It was absolutely beautiful even if it was kind of simple. Pietro’s arm reached around you to grab it to your surprise. 

“You like this?” 

Your face flushed but you nodded. He merely shot you a smile before he was walking over to the man that was running it. Your lips parted to protest but you had the feeling it would be ignored. Money was exchanged and he was right back at your side. You shook your head at him but there was a smile on your face. 

“Pretty necklace for a pretty girl,” he explained, motioning for you to turn with his finger,” Let’s see how it looks.” 

You knew it likely didn’t match your chosen outfit but it didn’t matter to you right then. Instead you did as asked and turned so your back was facing him. He lifted his arms up to bring the necklace over your head and then back down. Your head tilted down as it came to rest against your neck. After he had it clasped, his fingers briefly brushed against the back of your neck. The touch was light and rather quick, you almost wouldn’t have noticed. 

Your fingers reached up to fiddle with the charm. Your head turned to look over at him after it was settled. Maybe it was wrong of you to be feeling happy. At least when you and Steve were not getting along. Pietro told you to come along but didn’t just walk ahead like before. Instead he was reaching for your hand and maybe it was because it was crowded. From what you could tell Brooklyn Flea was rather popular for tourists and natives alike. 

There were some days were you felt like you were a tourist and others a native. Maybe you were always going to be a mix of the two. 

Pietro ended up buying a knife that caught his eye. You bought yourself a few infinity scarves and a purse that caught yours. All of it was rather cheap compared to how much you could have spent. Everything you bought besides the necklace was shoved in a plain black plastic bag. Pietro insisted on carrying it for you since you weren’t going home right away. He took you to his favorite spot for lunch. The both of you ended up eating burgers and fries that were rather good. 

You insisted on paying for half of lunch despite his protests. 

After that you two caught an old movie playing at one of the many theaters. It was something black and white but you didn’t mind. You ended up sharing a large coke and a medium popcorn. You barely touched the popcorn but Pietro ate most of it. You had no idea how he ate so much but you didn’t question. After that the two of you ambled around for a bit while getting to know each other. 

He asked you about your life back home which you dodged the questions. You asked him about his life in New York and how it had been to move there so young. He told you that he only had a few memories from when he wasn’t living there. Since you hadn’t answered his questions, you didn’t feel the need to push him to answer yours. Instead you opted to ask him about Wanda, his love life and work. 

You practically lost track of time given everything the two of you did together. It was early in the evening by the time you were walking on your street. You weren’t sure when but your feet started to hurt from all the walking. Pietro took that as an invite to throw you onto his back. That had you giggling but you were relieved to not have to walk. Instead you got comfortable and made sure to grab the bag from him. 

“I enjoyed today,” you told him as he walked,” I think I needed this!” 

“Needed what kukla?” 

“Time with a friend!” 

“You can call me whenever you need a friend.” 

He had made sure to program his number into your phone. There had been a few missed calls from Bucky but you hadn’t called back. Instead you had chosen to just wait to see what things would be like when you got home. Honestly you hadn’t wanted to deal with the stress that would come from talking to him. Even if he was worried about you, you felt like it was best to have some time away. Maybe it wasn’t right but you weren’t sure that you even cared. You still didn’t understand why Steve was behaving the way that he was. 

The last thing that you were expecting was to see not just Bucky on the stoop but Steve. The both of them were sitting on the steps and had worried looks on their faces. Your mood instantly dropped at the sight of them. Part of you wanted to tell Pietro to turn around. After all the day had been good and you weren’t sure you were ready to face the music. Though they heard Pietro’s steps and both their heads snapped up. 

Steve was unsure what to think the moment his eyes landed on the two of you. He had been worried when he got home to see that it was just Bucky. After finding out what happened he knew that he was an idiot. That he should have stayed to talk with you but instead he had left. He didn’t think that you would be coming home on the back of your neighbor’s brother. The two of you seemed to be a bit too close. 

“Doll!” called out Bucky who climbed to his feet,” You’re home!” 

You scrambled to get off Pietro’s back once he came to a halt. You nodded quickly and reached into the bag to pull out Pietro’s one purchase. You turned to hand it to him and he placed it in his back pocket. He was reaching to pull you into a hug which was unexpected. You didn’t think about it but went to return it. 

“Tell Wanda thanks for me,” you told him,” And again, thanks for today.” 

He nodded before pulling away and waving to the boys. After that he was turning and walking back towards the subway station. That left you with the boys who looked like they weren’t sure what to do. The situation was not one that any of you had been expecting. You knew that they knew Pietro and had some sort of relationship with him. Though from the looks on their faces they were not pleased with having him around. 

You swung the bag absently as you dared to take a few steps forward. Your free hand was reaching to brush your hair off the back of your neck. 

“Should we go inside?” 

Bucky looked to Steve who was staring at you intently. His gaze went back to you and he sighed in annoyance. He motioned for you to come forward with his arm outstretched. You felt incredibly awkward but you went to head inside. The both of them were right on your heels. You went to set the bag on the window seat before going to sit on the sofa. You were by no means an idiot and knew that a talk was coming. 

“Doll I think I have to explain myself,” stated Steve who was going to sit next to you,” I realize that I shouldn’t have gotten so angry and I shouldn’t have taken off this morning.”

Bucky was going to sit on the other side of you after he moved your bag. He was reaching to take one of your hands into his good one. Your other hand was being grabbed by Steve and that made your stomach do backflips. There was nothing but silence for a few minutes. Instead of talking you were looking at your joined hands. You took note of how small yours were compared to theirs.   
“I just don’t understand why you were so angry about my job,” you finally whispered,” I knew it wouldn’t thrill you but I didn’t think it would be such a big deal.” 

Bucky grunted at your words but his head turned to look over at you. He looked like he wanted to say something but no words came from him. You glanced back over at Steve who looked equally as troubled. Had you already said the wrong thing? You seemed to have a talent for doing that. 

“I just-the idea of guys staring at you and trying to touch you, it doesn’t sit right with me.” 

“Why?” 

It was a simple question but it didn't have a simple answer.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously I am always so happy to see that people are loving this as much as I love writing this! Thank you to every single person that has commented, bookmarked and left kudos! I wish I had the energy to respond to each one! Sadly updates might be a bit slow again. I am having a medical issue that is kind of knocking me off my game. This chapter is a bit short but it's also very important! Finally some action! As always, let me know what you guys think!

There was nothing but silence after you posed the question. 

You had the feeling that you shouldn’t hold your breath. 

Steve and Bucky kept looking over your head at each other. You already knew that they were communicating without actually saying anything. It was just one of the many habits of theirs that you had picked up on. You were fairly certain you had never felt more uncomfortable in your entire life. That was saying something considering you had lived on the street for a few months before they found you. Literally sleeping on benches and washing yourself in a gas station sink was more comfortable than waiting for the answer. 

Bucky knew that you were becoming anxious from the way you were fidgeting. The way that you were starting to look from him to Steve more than once. He knew that maybe he should say something but he also knew it wasn’t his place. He hadn’t been the one to get angry with you over your uniform. He had merely asked you why you had kept it a secret but nothing more than that. He was praying that Steve would just say something to break the silence. 

“It’s-It’s because I care about you.” 

That was not a good enough answer. 

You merely sighed in annoyance and shook your head at Steve. You weren’t going to let him get away with dancing around the question. If he didn’t give you a real answer you knew you were going to spend the night at Wanda’s. She had already told you that you were more than welcome. Bucky’s hand was suddenly squeezing yours to get your attention. Your head turned to look over at him with your eyebrows raised. 

“What he is trying to say is that he behaved the way he did because of how he feels for you.” 

That was not making you feel any better about the situation. 

“And how does he feel about me?” 

You felt rude for talking like Steve wasn’t sitting right beside you. He hadn’t made a single protest so you weren’t sure if he disliked it or didn’t care. Steve’s hand suddenly left yours only to reach out to grasp your chin. He was turning your head so that you were looking right at him. There seemed to be some kind of conflict written in his eyes. It was as if he was struggling to figure out what he should do. You were suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm and almost light headed. 

Still no words fell from him. Instead he was looking at you intently, almost studying you. Your other hand was still being held tightly in Bucky’s grasp. You could feel his hold on you tightening but you couldn’t look to see the expression on his face. You almost wanted to turn your head but you couldn’t bring yourself to. Instead your eyes were locked onto Steve’s bright blue orbs. His lips were parting but still no words came out. 

You wanted to say something, anything but it was like your vocal cords weren’t working. You couldn’t remember if you had ever felt so overwhelmed when so little had happened. It was like you had forgotten how to function. Every move that he made was slow but he was closing the distance. Before you could even form a word his mouth was meshing with yours. It was like every single nerve ending you possessed was on fire. Alarms were going off in your head and you weren’t sure what to do. If you should pull away or remain still.

Your body made the choice for you. 

Even if you were unsure you found your mouth earnestly moving against his own. Bucky had yet to let go of your hand and you knew he was watching the two of you. What were you supposed to do? The kiss was gentle and almost on the sweet side. You couldn’t remember if you had ever been kissed the way Steve was kissing you. Most of the boys from your past had been nervous and bumbling. Steve clearly knew what he was doing when it came down to it. His tongue flicked out to trace along your lower lip, teasing. You gasped against his mouth which prompted him to smile into the kiss. He seemed to be holding something back and then he was pulling away. 

Your chest was heaving and you felt like you couldn’t breathe properly. Your face was bright red and you had never felt so puzzled. Bucky was holding onto your hand so tightly you almost feared bones would snap. Part of you was still extremely nervous, almost too nervous to look over at him. Steve was staring at you and he almost looked relieved. It looked like some great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. 

“Wa-Wait what just happened?” 

It was a very stupid question and you knew that. You knew that Steve had just kissed you but it didn’t make sense. You were shocked that he had done such a thing when Bucky was right beside you. Your free hand was reaching up to brush against your lips that were tingling. There was so much that you didn’t entirely understand. It was not something that you liked and you wanted to fix it. 

Bucky’s hand was releasing yours only to slide up your arm. His fingers danced along your skin before they found their way to your neck. Your entire body was tensing as his fingers tangled in your hair at the base of your scalp. Once more your head was being turned and Bucky’s face was mere inches from yours. You noticed that his breathing had quickened and his eyes had darkened. His forehead pressed against yours but he didn’t move after that. 

Steve was shifting and you felt his face burrowing into your back. His arms were encompassing around your middle to hold you tight. The overwhelming feeling that had filled you was not going away. In fact it was just getting worse with every single move that they made. You could only imagine how the three of you looked, tangled up on the sofa. Your eyes were squeezed shut and you were struggling to process. 

The two of them had feelings for you. 

It was becoming crystal clear given everything that had occurred. It certainly explained why Steve had behaved the way he had. In fact it explained a lot that you hadn’t noticed before. Maybe you hadn’t wanted to but now you had. The two of them had been protective and had wanted to keep you close. You thought that they wanted to keep you safe but it was more than that. It was becoming clear that you had read all the signs wrong. 

Bucky had yet to move a single inch. He was taking deep breaths and his eyes were shut. You had never seen him looking the way that he had. You couldn’t bring yourself to make the next move. You felt like you were drowning, unsure and timid about it all. Out of all the scenarios you had never thought your day would be ending the way that it was. You wanted to say something to rid yourself of all the feelings hitting you. To somehow make things better but you knew that it was pointless.

You were like a fish out of water. 

Bucky smashed his mouth against yours in a rather harsh kiss. It was nothing at all like the one Steve and you shared. His mouth was hot and demanding against yours. His fingers tightened their grip on your hair. You could feel Steve’s breath dancing across the back of your neck. His lips grazed against the skin that Bucky’s hand wasn’t covering. You felt like you were on the verge of getting drunk off the both of them.

It was all too much. 

Your hands reached to push Bucky back in order to allow you to breathe. He seemed almost surprised but didn’t go in to kiss you again. Instead he was looking at you as if he was frightened you were going to run away. There was a very big part of you that thought it would be a good idea. You were going to need time to think and to figure it all out. You had thought that the two of them were just very good friends. That you were like a family but it seemed that you were something else entirely. You didn’t understand considering you thought the two of them were happy together. 

“Doll?” 

Steve’s voice was tinged with concern. You knew that the both of them were waiting to see what you would do. If you were going to tell them to go to hell or just run. Instead you remained smack dab in between the two. You shifted so that you were facing the both of them. The two of them were sitting inwards, still wanting to be close. Steve had loosened his hold on you but hadn’t let go of you fully. 

You knew they were waiting for you to say something. It was like you forgot how to speak given the thoughts running through your mind. You truly did want to say something to them but you didn’t know what. After all you didn’t even really know how to feel about what had just transpired. 

“I think-I think I need a minute.” 

You needed more than a minute but you wanted to be nice. Your arms were reaching out to go around them. Your hands going to slide up towards their hair. That earned you a slight growl from Bucky and a smile from Steve. Even if you wanted space you also felt like you needed to say where you were. Both of them were reaching to pull you into a hug and there was so much warmth. You felt tiny sandwiched between the two of them. You felt exhausted, extremely exhausted and you had only just been home for maybe fifteen minutes. 

“Do you want to be left alone?” 

Steve sounded frightened that you did. You found the both of them pulling back to look towards you. Your hands dropped into your lap, wondering what you should say. Maybe you should be alone but all you were thinking was that you wanted to lay down. You looked over at Bucky who looked just as worried as Steve did. They were both clearly hanging on every single word. You glanced back towards Steve and inhaled sharply. 

“I want to lay down,” you mumbled, glancing down at Steve’s hands,” Like we did before.” 

Bucky was looking towards Steve with his eyebrows arched up. Steve shook his head subtly, knowing he would need to explain. Though his main focus was you and he was reaching to pull you into his lap. You let out a small squeak in surprise even though you knew what was coming. Steve was clambering up to his feet while cradling you in his grasp. Your arms laced around his neck and he was carrying you towards the back of your home. Bucky didn’t even need to be told to follow and was right behind the two of you. 

Steve carefully set you on the bed while Bucky was reaching to unclasp your necklace. He set it on the nightstand before he was going towards the dresser. You watched the both of them as they moved about. Steve was closing the curtains while Bucky was grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. He held them out for you and you reached to take them. You pulled the shirt over your head only to slide off your AC/DC shirt under. You pulled that shirt out from the neckline and Bucky was taking it. Due to the length of the shirt you were able to take off your shorts without them seeing much. 

You slid on the boxers and then Steve’s hands were on your hips. A gasp escaped from your lips as he lifted you further up the bed. Bucky had already pulled the blankets back as Steve set you right in the middle. The light was being shut off before the both of them joined you. You found yourself curling up into Steve’s side and Bucky spooning you. 

“We will talk when you wake up doll,” mumbled Bucky into your neck,” Just get some rest.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I am starting things a little differently with this! 
> 
> I want to dedicate this chapter to Jokerthegrey. The comment that you left literally inspired me to do more writing. It brought me to tears which I know possibly sounds a little crazy. It is amazing to know that my writing has been able to help even just a little! I hope you enjoy this one as well!
> 
> As always thank you to everyone who bookmarks, leaves kudos and comments! This chapter is a tad short but I really wanted to get something out! I am feeling a lot better but still healing! My updates are still going to be slow! Anyways! Enjoy!

Bucky was the first one who woke in the middle of the night. 

It took him a bit to remember where he was and what had happened. Part of him still feared that it was just a dream. There was no possible way you had kissed Steve and then him. Though there was no denying it the moment his eyes landed on you. In your sleep you had turned to face him. Steve was pressed right up against your back with his arm wound around your waist. One of your arms was out stretched and your hand was resting on Bucky’s side. The fact that you were reaching out for him in your sleep made him smile. 

He could get used to having you beside him in bed. He wasn’t certain if it would happen more than once. If only because he knew it was wrong on so many levels. It wasn’t something that was accepted by mainstream society. He still didn’t quite know how or when his feelings for you went past friendship. All he did know was that it had happened and it was becoming apparent the feelings weren’t going to go away. 

He was reaching to push some of your hair away from your eyes. The movement caused you to shift and you let out a groan. It was a relief that you didn’t wake fully. Instead you shifted a bit before settling once more. He still didn’t understand just what it was that he was doing. He wanted to wake Steve but doubted he would be able to do that without waking you. He felt the need to talk with Steve about everything.

They had done some of that when you had gone off with Pietro the previous day. That was when everything had come to light about how the two of them felt about you. It hadn’t changed their feelings for each other. They both had wanted to see where your head was at when it came to them. The last thing that either of them wanted was to push you into something that you didn’t want or weren’t ready for. 

His thoughts had changed the moment that he saw Steve kiss you. It was something had finally snapped into place. The moment that Steve’s lips brushed against your own it was like something awakened in him. There had been no way he could resist the urge to kiss you. It was something that he had imagined after that first night with you in his truck. That felt like eons ago but the night was fresh in his memory.

He would always remember the look in your eyes when he had pulled up beside you. How you had been hesitant but there had been something else in your eyes. That something else had clearly motivated you to get in. Everything had changed since then and had even gotten better. You coming into his life as well as Steve’s had changed everything. You were like a ray of sunshine in the once gray sky.

“Buck?”

Steve’s voice was thick from sleep. He was also whispering as to avoid waking you. Bucky’s gaze went up to see that Steve was lifting his head from the pillow. Steve was glancing down at you with a look of pure adoration. It was a look that Bucky was used to seeing but it was almost always directed at him. It wasn’t something that made him jealous. He knew how hard it was for the both of them to open up to anyone. After all Steve had lost his girl Peg while they had been at war. Bucky used to be a ladies’ man back in the day.

Girls had flocked to him before everything changed. There hadn’t been a single friday night that he didn’t have a date on his arm. All of that changed when it came back from war a little less whole. Girls used to look at him with that glimmer in their eyes. Most just looked at him awkwardly before shying away. Not that it mattered because his feelings for Steve had come to light. He had never thought that Steve, his best friend, would feel the same. 

It had been hard on the both of them to accept their feelings. There had been so much confusion and Bucky hadn’t wanted to accept that he was attracted to another man. Though Steve had always been different to him than anyone else. He knew that his family would understand but he had never come out to them. There was almost a silent understanding about it. Steve didn’t exactly have any family to worry about. That didn’t make it any easier on his friend. It was a struggle for two men, two soldiers to come to reality that they were in love. That they wanted to be together and be happy. 

Things weren’t exactly perfect but they had been good. There had been an adjustment period after they had decided to move in together. There had been some days where one of them would shut the other out. Somehow, someway they had figured out how to make their relationship work. It might not have made sense to those on the outside looking in. The only people who really knew where the very few that were important to the pair. 

The question was would they also accept you?

Steve knew that he couldn’t fathom the idea of you not being theirs. He had fallen for you slowly but he had fallen hard. He had felt a strong urge to protect you. Perhaps that was why he had gotten so up in arms over your job. The idea of you being stared and groped at just disturbed him. He wanted to keep you safe just like he wanted to keep Bucky safe. He was relieved that you hadn’t run and were currently nestled in between Bucky and himself. 

Bucky shot him a smile before his gaze went towards you. He was unthinking as he leaned down to graze his lips against your own. The touch was feather light but enough to snap you out of your sleep. A small groan fell from you but you forced yourself to open your eyes. You blinked more than a few times to allow your eyes to adjust. Instantly gasping as you realized that the two of them were awake and staring down at you.

“Um, is everything okay?” 

The question made the both of them let out a chuckle. You knew that you were the only one feeling incredibly awkward. It was not something that was going to go away easily. Of course you were just hoping that it would go away soon. You knew already that you were blushing as you slowly began to sit up. It took you a second to realize just how tangled up in the two of them you had been. 

Your hands were reaching to try to smooth down your hair which you were sure was a mess. Bucky and Steve both scooted up so all three of you were against the headboard. You were reaching to pull the blankets further up to cover yourself, feeling incredibly shy. There were plenty of questions buzzing through your head but you didn’t know where to start. They both were looking at you, clearly waiting to see what you were going to say. 

“So you two have feelings for me?” 

They both nodded their heads. 

“And still have feelings for each other?” 

That got you two more nods along with smiles. 

“So you two want to be together and be with me?” 

 

It was a very simple way of putting things but you were trying to understand. The concept of being involved with two men who were in love was strange. You knew that such relationships weren’t unheard of but they were frowned upon. It wasn’t a concept that people were comfortable with. It was different and people didn’t tend to like things that were different. You knew that it would change everything for all three of you again. 

“How would that work?” 

That made the both of them glance at each other and then look at you. You had the feeling that they hadn’t gotten that far with their thought process. They had solely been focused on acting on their feelings and nothing more. There was a lot to figure out and all of you knew it. 

“How about we take it one step at a time?” suggested Steve who was reaching for your hand,” This is strange for us too doll, we never thought we could feel this way for anyone else.” 

It made you feel better to know that you weren’t the only one struggling. You reached with your free hand to take Bucky’s hand and exhaled slowly. You found yourself placing your head against Bucky’s shoulder. 

“Any chance you guys want some ice cream?” 

You wanted to do something to get rid of the tension. Steve let out a laugh before he was going to climb from the bed. Bucky and you were watching as he disappeared. You lifted your head and looked up towards Bucky. He looked just as confused as you did with made you giggle. The sound of your giggle caused his smile to grow. His movement was slow but he was reaching to pull you over and situated you between his legs. 

Steve reappeared but he was holding a carton of rocky road ice cream with three spoons. That made you giggle as he jumped onto the bed playfully. The bed shook which caused all three of you to laugh. Soon the lid was popped off and all three of you dug in. The three of you just sat there and talked, talking about random things. They told you stories from when they were younger. You told them stories about things that happened at your job. 

How you had once spilled a pitcher of beer and the customers felt so bad they paid for it. They even left you a rather amazing tip which you hadn’t expected. By the time that you started to feel tired the ice cream was basically gone. Bucky was going to throw everything away while Steve tucked you back in. Bucky was joining you after turning off the light. He was laying so that his back was facing you. 

You were unthinking as you went to curl your body around his own. Your arm going around him and you felt his body tense. It seemed you had taken him by surprise. Finally he was relaxing and you felt his flesh hand resting against yours. Steve seemed to follow suit and was going to spoon you. It was a bit of a tight fit for the three of you but it was good. 

They made you feel safe. 

They made you feel like you belonged.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this took a while! My health stuff has not been fun. Plus I am back at work full time and it's taking a bit of getting used to! This chapter is leading up to what I'm sure a lot of people have been waiting for, SMUT! So for those of you who do not care for it, I'm just warning you! Anyways! As always thanks to those that have commented, left kudos and bookmarked! Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Work was moderately busy. 

You found yourself taking care of only a few tables in your section. It wasn’t something that you couldn’t handle. You were just happy that you had tables. There had been a bit of a lull the past few times you had worked. If you didn’t have any tables that meant no tips. That was why you had a smile on your face. You were working the afternoon shift. That meant that you were actually going to have the night free. 

You were in the back, waiting for the cook to pass over an appetizer platter. It was huge and contained mozzarella sticks, nachos, chicken tenders etc. All the while shifting your weight from one leg to the other. Steve and Bucky still weren’t thrilled with your job. They were slowly warming up to it even with the fact that they were disapproving. You had started to wear your uniform out of the house but you wore pants over the shorts and a hoodie. That was only because of the fact that it was not exactly warm out anymore. 

“Two guys here for you!” yelled out one of the other girls as she walked into the kitchen,” They asked to be put in your section!” 

A look of surprise appeared on your face though you had the feeling you knew who it was. It wasn’t like your social circle was huge. You were wondering what it was that had made them decide to come to your work. You merely shook your head with an amused look in your eyes. 

“I’ll be out with them in a few!” 

“Who the hell are they? They are gorgeous!” 

You normally would have gotten annoyed but she was a co worker of yours. You were giggling as the cook slid the platter you had been waiting for across. You placed it on the round tray that was at your waist level before going to scoop it up. You went to place the tray against your shoulder and made sure you had a good grip. After that you were turning around to face her. 

“My roommates,” you said with a smile,” And they are pretty easy on the eyes, aren’t they?” 

They were more than your roommates but you weren’t going out of your way to tell people. It seemed like something that should remain private. Plus you knew that both Steve and Bucky were very private. It was something that you had come to understand and respect very quickly.

“So jealous!” she exclaimed as she went to hold the door open for you,” You go home to that and I go home to nothing!” 

You only laughed as you brushed by and found yourself walking into the dining room. It was next to impossible to not notice Bucky and Steve. They were seated at one of the high tops. Both of them looked just a bit out of their element. You knew they didn’t go to places like your work. They respected women and thought that so places were demeaning. They had used nicer words but you knew what they meant. 

You could only shoot them a smile before hurrying towards the table of men waiting. You quickly set the platter down as well as the small plates. 

“Here you go boys!” you greeted with a smile,” Need anything else right away?”

They practically dove into the food. Only one of them was nice enough to shake his head no. You tucked the tray under your arm before you were heading towards the table where your boys sat. They didn’t even have a menu open to your surprise. Had they looked at it before you came out? 

“Doll,” greeted Steve, looking like he almost wanted to pull you into a hug,” We thought we would surprise you.”   
You knew that what they were doing was a big step. They were trying to show that they were becoming more accepting. It wasn’t something that you were surprised at. You were just hoping that nothing bad would happen with another one of your tables. The last thing that you needed was some drunken idiot trying to hit on you while your boys were there. It was only recently that you had started to think of them as yours. 

“Well, I am surprised,” you told them with a smile,” And very happy to see you both.” 

You leaned in to press a chaste kiss to Bucky’s cheek. He had yet to say anything but he looked tense. You only hoped that you were able to help him relax. You noticed his slight frown disappear and it was replaced with a shy smile. Though you knew that you couldn’t hang around for long.

“So did you two decide on something to eat?” 

Bucky looked to Steve and Steve was still focused on you. His eyes were trailing up and down your frame. You didn’t feel awkward which you knew was an improvement. The look in Steve’s eyes wasn’t exactly one that you had seen before. There was a hunger in them that had butterflies forming in your stomach. 

“I think we just want two beers, whatever is on tap.” 

Your gaze went towards Bucky, surprised that they didn’t want food. Instead you nodded as you went to write down what they were ordering. 

“Are you sure you guys don’t want nachos? Or wings?” 

Steve finally seemed to snap out of it. He was shaking his head and shooting you a smile. 

“Beer is fine.” 

You motioned towards their menus which they quickly handed over. You tucked them under your arm before placing your order pad into the pocket of your apron. 

“I’ll be right out with them!” 

Quickly you were turning and heading towards the bar. After telling the bartender, you were going to put the menus back up front. You knew that by the time you were back at the bar that their drinks would be ready. You decided to sneak into the kitchen before you went to pick up their drinks. 

“Hey Bobby can you put in two orders of our street tacos please?”

“Are these for you?”

“Friends of mine but I’m paying for it.” 

He gave you a thumbs up before he was turning to get started. You scurried back out to the bar to pick up their beers. You were doing your best to move fast. You reached their table and set their drinks down. 

“There you go,” you told them with a smile,” I’ll check on you guys in a bit!” 

You went to check on the few other tables that you had. One of them wanted their check and a box for the little food they had left. Your other table flagged you over in order to get some refills. You quickly gathered their glasses before making your way to to the soda fountain. Quickly you were filling them all up and going to set them on a tray. 

The entire time you had flitted about you had felt two sets of eyes on you. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was. You couldn’t help but wonder how long they were going to stick around. You knew that Bucky probably had the entire day free. Steve you had no idea about. He didn’t have a set schedule so his hours tended to vary. All you did know was that he was always willing to go into the VA for anything or anyone. 

Helping others seemed to help him. 

You slowly walked back towards the table while making sure you had a good hold on the tray. The fake smile you had perfected was plastered on your face. The guys were too focused on their conversation to pay you any mind. You thankfully remembered who had what drink or you would be in a world of trouble. 

After that you were heading back towards the kitchen. Bobby was placing the baskets filled with street tacos on the window. You smiled at him as you reached to place them on the tray.

“Thanks!” 

He nodded but was too busy with another order to actually talk. That was something that happened quite often. You scooped up the tray and headed right back onto the floor. Steve and Bucky seemed to be having a conversation. Though they both went quiet the second that you got within hearing distance. 

You shot them a smile as you placed a plate in front of each of them. The both of them had confused looks plastered on their faces. Of course they hadn’t ordered food so the looks they were giving you made sense. They had done so much nice stuff for you that you wanted to do something nice for them. At the very least you wanted to do something nice when you were able to. 

“I wanted you guys to try these,” you said with a smile,” And don’t worry about paying for them, it’s on me.” 

Bucky shot you a look that let you know he wasn’t thrilled. He wanted you to save your money and had made that clear from day one. The both of them just wanted to help you get on your feet. You felt like you had done a good job of that so far. You were allowed to splurge once in a while. 

“Thank you doll,” uttered Steve, reaching to pick one up,” They smell great.” 

You watched with a smile on your face as he went to take the first bite. The look on his face let you know that he was enjoying it. That meant that all of your attention was on Bucky. He was still glowering a bit at you but he knew you wanted to do something nice. 

“Just try it,” you begged,” I promise you’ll like it and they won’t don’t even cost me that much.”

They truly didn’t considering that you had your employee discount. 

Bucky’s movement was slow but he was reaching to take one in his good hand. You were watching him bring it up towards his mouth when you heard a low whistle. That caused you to turn, realizing it was your only other table. The table that you had refilled all the drinks for not so long ago. All of them were looking directly at you to your dismay.

“Can we get our bill?”

You were a bit baffled but you nodded. You shot your boys a weak smile before going to grab the bill for that table. You knew that sometimes the men you served could be a little stupid. It was just one of the things that came with the job. It was normally not a big deal for you. You were almost always able to brush it off. The reason you were feeling nervous was because Steve and Bucky were there. You had no idea how they would react to guys being a little too flirty with you. You honestly didn’t want to have to find out. 

You were timid as you went to take the bill over to the table. Before you could even walk away, they were all slapping down cash. Each of them had fumbled to get out their wallets in order to do so. You were taken by surprise since it wasn’t often that people did that. Usually you gave them a bit of time in order to allow them to figure out how they wanted to pay. Sometimes people would be ready with their cards but never with cash. 

“Keep the change,” said the guy sitting closest to you on the left,” For such great service.” 

The tone of his voice let you know already that he was implying something. You were reaching to pick up the crumpled bills and shoved them into your apron. You didn’t even want to count it but you knew that it was probably more than enough. Especially from the way all of them were staring at you. What made it odd was the fact that none of them were even close to being drunk. You knew they were on a lunch break from work so that was why they hadn’t ordered a pitcher of beer. 

The same guy reached to push a bill off the table before you could try to catch it. Internally you wanted to scream but you kept the smile plastered on your face. You didn’t want to have to bend over but knew you didn’t get a choice. You tried to be quick as you leaned down to scoop it up. As you began to stand upright, you felt fingers grazing along the curve of your ass. Your eyes widened as those same fingers pinched. That caused a surprised cry to fall from you and you hurried to step back. 

All of them had smug looks on their faces. 

Those smug looks seemed to quickly disappear after a moment passed. You had no idea what had suddenly changed. Both of your hands had gone towards your butt. It was possibly due to embarrassment or maybe something else. Everything suddenly registered when you felt breath tickling the back of your neck. A hand that felt familiar was pulling you backwards. The sudden move caused you to stumble backwards but you stayed upright. 

You chanced glancing up to see that it was Bucky that had pulled you back. His jaw was tense and there was a fire in his eyes. He wasn’t even looking at you. His gaze was stuck on the group of men that looked frightened. Steve was brushing past the two of you only to reach to grab the guy who touched you by the collar of his shirt. 

“What makes you think you have the right to treat a woman however you want?” he asked, the guy sputtering and stammering out some words. 

You couldn’t make sense of them. 

Though you knew that it was not any sort of form of an apology. 

Bucky’s arms were suddenly turning you. Your nose bumped against his middle but you didn’t protest. Instead you allowed him to wrap his arms around you and hold you close. His good hand was burying in your hair and pressing your face to his chest. You wanted to try to stop whatever it was from happening. You honestly did because you didn’t want to lose your job. The words seemed to be caught in your throat. 

Your fingers clutched at the fabric of Bucky’s shirt. 

There was suddenly the sound of something hitting the floor. There was a collective gasp all throughout the restaurant. You already knew that you were the center of attention. You barely got a glimpse of the guy on the floor, clutching at his face. Blood was gushing out and over his fingers. Steve was standing above him and you had never seen him look so angry. 

“Doll,” he choked out, finally looking towards you,” Get your things.” 

You nodded since you doubted it would be good to protest. You fumbled to get out of Bucky’s arms and headed towards the locker room. Your body felt like it was on autopilot as you went to get your things. You forced yourself to pull your hoodie over your head and slid your arms into the sleeves. 

Your mind was practically whirring at what had happened. 

You could hear someone yelling about calling the cops. 

You pulled the hood up to cover your hair as you took deep breaths. One of the other girls was moving behind you and you realized that you hadn’t taken your apron off. She was reaching to undo it for you and making shushing noises. You watched her as she pulled the apron from your frame. It took her a few moments to take out the order pad and your tips from the night. You took them with your trembling hands and shoved them into your bag. 

“Take a deep breath,” she was telling you, noticing the shaking of your hands,” Just go home, we’ll work this out tomorrow.” 

Did that mean she knew that you weren’t fired? 

You forced yourself to take a deep breath before nodding. After that you were slowly walking out and throwing your bag over her shoulder. Bucky was waiting for you but Steve was outside. The man he punched was being helped by one of the managers. The both of them realized you were staring. The guy was glaring and your manager waved towards the door. 

It was clear that it was time for you to go. 

You only nodded before allowing Bucky to usher you outside. You still on some level felt like your entire body had gone numb. Steve was staring down at his hand and you could see that the knuckles were already starting to bruise. You didn’t know what you should do. You were tempted to run from the both of them but didn’t. Instead you were reaching to take Steve’s hand in both of yours. 

“Wh-What were you thinking?” 

“He can’t-I can’t let anyone else touch you like that.” 

“You are ours.” 

The words were uttered by Bucky who was standing at your side. 

It was clear from the look on his face that he was serious. Those words sent shivers down your spine. You were nearly squirming under their intense gazes. The both of them were so different from the teenage boys you had messed with. You felt like you had changed after moving in with them. 

You found yourself staring down at his bruised knuckles. It was clear that they didn’t think it was wrong. That they felt justified in what Steve had done. Even if that meant risking your job which it was quite possible they had. You were unsure about what your next step would be. 

“You should get some ice on that.” 

That was the only thing that you could think to say. It might have sounded stupid but you didn’t care. All that mattered was that you get away from your work. Steve was pulling his hand away from you. His movement was so sudden as he reached to cup the back of your head. You were brought forward only for his mouth to clash with yours. 

Alarms were going off inside of your head. You knew that anyone could look outside and see. Steve didn’t seem bothered as his mouth claimed yours. The kiss was messy, all tongue and teeth hitting. You were starting to feel dizzy due to how intense it was. Steve’s other arm was wrapping around your lower back to pull you more firmly against him. Your hands were still shaking as you reached to cup his face. 

It lasted only for a few moments before the kiss broke. At that point you were breathless and utterly overwhelmed. 

You were always going to be overwhelmed with them.


End file.
